PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship - Brooks & Davis Reach Final

Bradley Brooks and Joe Davis will contest the PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship final in November after winning through the tournament's early rounds on Monday.

The pair came through a 96-player field at the Barnsley Metrodome to move within one match of the title, a £10,000 top prize and a place in the 2020/21 William Hill World Darts Championship.

They have also secured spots in the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts, but will firstly face off on Sunday November 29 for the right to succeed Luke Humphries as World Youth Champion.

Blackburn's Brooks had begun 2020 at Qualifying School as he won back his PDC Tour Card, and the 20-year-old showed his quality as he secured a place in the final.

Having won through the group stage by dropping just one leg against Sam Coenders and Henry Cutting, he was made to work harder in the knockout rounds.

A 6-2 win over Rhys Griffin was followed by a 6-4 success against William Borland, before a 167 checkout in leg ten saved the game in his quarter-final win over Martin Schindler.

He then overcame Dutchman Niels Zonneveld 6-1 in the semi-finals to seal his spot in November's showpiece.

"This is what we're all here for, to qualify for the final," said Brooks. "It's been really tough, everyone is a great standard and I've had ups and downs.

"I was playing Martin Schindler, it was four apiece and he takes out 158 to go 5-4, and then I take out 167 to go five-all. If I missed, I was out and that 167 was the game-changer for me.

"I can look forward to the final now. Ever since I started playing darts it was my dream to be on the telly. Joe's a good player, very capable, so it will be a good final."

Davis, meanwhile, had to come from 4-0 down in his semi-final against Jeffrey de Zwaan, taking victory 6-5 to secure his place in the final.

The 23-year-old from Brighton was a 5-2 winner in both of his group games, against Roman Benecky and Keith O'Neill, and then defeated Jack Male 6-3, Jaikob Selby-Rivas 6-2 and Brian Raman 6-4.

A decorator by trade, Davis has previously played in two UK Opens but could now enjoy a life-changing night in November's final.

"I feel great - it's what I came here for and it's good to achieve that," said Davis.

"I was 4-0 down and thought I was going to lose 6-0, but thankfully my finishing got me out of it. I finished quite well there and clawed it back leg by leg because we all know how good Jeffrey is.

"During this lockdown I've practiced more in one day than I've done in the past five years. I've been off work and thankfully I've got that chance to practice and put everything into it.

"You want to win the final now. I've known Brad for a few years now and he's a great player, so we'll see how we get on. It's going to be huge and I'll get massive experience from it."

The semi-final loss for De Zwaan means that the 24-year-old missed out on claiming the World Youth Championship in his final event at this level before progressing full-time to senior level.

He was joined in missing out in the semi-finals by fellow Dutchman Zonneveld, a Development Tour event winner in 2018 who won five matches before losing out to Brooks.

Development Tour Order of Merit winner Ryan Meikle was edged out in a deciding leg in the quarter-finals, while 2018 World Youth Championship finalist Martin Schindler missed three match darts against Brooks.

Development Tour runner-up Keane Barry was beaten 6-5 by Schindler in the last 16, with Sunday's Event Ten winner Callan Rydz also losing out at that stage.

2019 World Youth Championship runner-up Adam Gawlas was joined in the last 32 by former Junior Darts Corporation champions Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Joshua Richardson and Hong Kong duo Lee Lok Yin and Man Lok Leung.

2016 finalist Berry van Peer, who finished third on the Development Tour Order of Merit to win back his PDC Tour Card, missed out in the group stage alongside Harry Ward, a Players Championship winner in 2019 and a recent qualifier for the World Series of Darts Finals.

PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship

Monday September 28, Barnsley Metrodome

Group Stage

Group One

Daan Bastiaansen 5-3 Cameron Doyle

Jeffrey De Zwaan 5-2 Daan Bastiaansen

Jeffrey De Zwaan 5-1 Cameron Doyle

Group Two

Scott Hope 5-4 Charlie Symons

Gian van Veen 5-2 Scott Hope

Charlie Symons 5-4 Gian van Veen

Group Three

Joshua Richardson 5-2 Sven Hesse

Joshua Richardson 5-4 Kevin Doets

Kevin Doets 5-2 Sven Hesse

Group Four

Moreno Blom 5-2 Levy Frauenfelder

Maikel Verberk 5-3 Levy Frauenfelder

Moreno Blom 5-4 Maikel Verberk

Group Five

Ole Holtkamp 5-2 Bertus Herks

Callan Rydz 5-4 Bertus Herks

Callan Rydz 5-2 Ole Holtkamp

Group Six

Callum Wildridge 5-3 Henk Snijder

Lee Lok Yin 5-3 Henk Snijder

Lee Lok Yin 5-0 Callum Wildridge

Group Seven

Timo Van den Elshout 5-4 Sean Negrette

Ryan Meikle 5-0 Timo Van den Elshout

Ryan Meikle 5-1 Sean Negrette

Group Eight

Mikey Rees 5-3 Thomas Lovely

Sebastian Bialecki 5-2 Thomas Lovely

Sebastian Bialecki 5-1 Mikey Rees

Group Nine

Jurjen van der Velde 5-2 Vilem Sedivy

Ted Evetts 5-0 Vilem Sedivy

Ted Evetts 5-1 Jurjen van der Velde

Group Ten

William Blackwell 5-3 Kalem Marsh

Kalem Marsh 5-4 Lewis Pride

Lewis Pride 5-3 William Blackwell

Group 11

Nathan Potter 5-4 Maartendirk Woord

Brian Raman 5-4 Nathan Potter

Brian Raman 5-3 Maartendirk Woord

Group 12

Kevin Troppmann 5-2 Joshua Lloyd

Kevin Troppmann 5-1 Damian Mol

Damian Mol 5-0 Joshua Lloyd

Group 13

Man Lok Leung 5-1 Marcus Tommaso Brambati

Man Lok Leung 5-3 Geert Nentjes

Geert Nentjes 5-3 Marcus Tommaso Brambati

Group 14

Ben Cheeseman 5-3 Josh McCarthy

Jaikob Selby-Rivas 5-3 Josh McCarthy

Jaikob Selby-Rivas 5-1 Ben Cheeseman

Group 15

Jack Male 5-2 Michael Poole

Lewis Williams 5-1 Michael Poole

Jack Male 5-4 Lewis Williams

Group 16

Keith O'Neill 5-3 Roman Benecky

Joe Davis 5-2 Roman Benecky

Joe Davis 5-2 Keith O'Neill

Group 17

Owen Maiden 5-2 Brent Plaisier

Martin Schindler 5-1 Owen Maiden

Martin Schinder 5-2 Brent Plaisier

Group 18

Alec Small 5-2 Jamai van den Herik

Jack Main 5-1 Alec Small

Jack Main 5-3 Jamai van den Herik

Group 19

Daniel Perry 5-0 Lewis Gurney

Dom Taylor 5-0 Daniel Perry

Lewis Gurney 5-1 Dom Taylor

Group 20

John Brown 5-4 Thomas Cromwell

Keane Barry 5-0 John Brown

Keane Barry 5-2 Thomas Cromwell

Group 21

James Beeton 5-1 Jack Kirtland

William Borland 5-0 Jack Kirtland

William Borland 5-1 James Beeton

Group 22

Fred Box 5-0 Brad Phillips

Fred Box 5-3 Owen Roelofs

Owen Roelofs 5-1 Brad Phillips

Group 23

Henry Cutting 5-1 Sam Coenders

Bradley Brooks 5-0 Sam Coenders

Bradley Brooks 5-1 Henry Cutting

Group 24

Justin Smith 5-4 Danny van Trijp

Rhys Griffin 5-0 Justin Smith

Danny van Trijp 5-3 Rhys Griffin

Group 25

Jarred Cole 5-2 Adam Paxton

Jarred Cole 5-2 Harry Ward

Harry Ward 5-2 Adam Paxton

Group 26

Connor Pickett 5-1 Egor Tvorogov

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 5-2 Connor Pickett

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 5-1 Egor Tvorogov

Group 27

Reece Colley 5-3 Robin Beger

Nathan Rafferty 5-1 Robin Beger

Nathan Rafferty 5-3 Reece Colley

Group 28

Bradley Halls 5-2 Justin Hewitt

Bradley Halls 5-1 Berry van Peer

Berry van Peer 5-0 Justin Hewitt

Group 29

Luke Colwill 5-4 Aaron Ayres

Niels Zonneveld 5-1 Luke Colwill

Niels Zonneveld 5-0 Aaron Ayres

Group 30

Ryan Payne 5-4 Ben McCaffery

Adam Gawlas 5-2 Ben McCaffery

Adam Gawlas 5-2 Ryan Payne

Group 31

Liam Meek 5-3 Nathan Girvan

Liam Meek 5-2 Jitse Van der Wal

Jitse Van der Wal 5-3 Nathan Girvan

Group 32

George Killington 5-1 Henry Reddin

Keelan Kay 5-2 Henry Reddin

George Killington 5-0 Keelan Kay

Knockout Stage

Last 32

Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-3 Gian van Veen

Moreno Blom 6-3 Joshua Richardson

Callan Rydz 6-3 Lee Lok Yin

Ryan Meikle 6-0 Sebastian Bialecki

Lewis Pride 6-5 Ted Evetts

Brian Raman 6-2 Kevin Troppmann

Jaikob Selby-Rivas 6-5 Man Lok Leung

Joe Davis 6-3 Jack Male

Martin Schindler 6-3 Jack Main

Keane Barry 6-3 Dom Taylor

William Borland 6-4 Fred Box

Bradley Brooks 6-2 Rhys Griffin

Jarred Cole 6-5 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

Nathan Rafferty 6-3 Bradley Halls

Niels Zonneveld 6-1 Adam Gawlas

George Killington 6-3 Liam Meek

Last 16

Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-5 Moreno Blom

Ryan Meikle 6-5 Callan Rydz

Brian Raman 6-4 Lewis Pride

Joe Davis 6-2 Jaikob Selby-Rivas

Martin Schindler 6-5 Keane Barry

Bradley Brooks 6-4 William Borland

Nathan Rafferty 6-2 Jarred Cole

Niels Zonneveld 6-5 George Killington

Quarter-Finals

Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-5 Ryan Meikle

Joe Davis 6-4 Brian Raman

Bradley Brooks 6-5 Martin Schindler

Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Nathan Rafferty

Semi-Finals

Joe Davis 6-5 Jeffrey De Zwaan

Bradley Brooks 6-1 Niels Zonneveld

Final

Joe Davis v Bradley Brooks

To be played Sunday November 29

Prize Fund

Winner £10,000 + place in 2020/2021 World Championship & 2021 Grand Slam

Runner-Up £5,000 + place in 2021 Grand Slam

Semi-Finalists £2,500

Quarter-Finalists £1,600

Last 16 £1,000

Last 32 £500

Second in Group £300

Third in Group £250

Total £60,000