Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold – and for the newly crowned JDC Winmau World Masters champion Kaya Baysal, a winter’s day in Milton Keynes proved perfectly refrigerated.
Several weeks after tasting Ally Pally heartbreak in the final of the JDC World Darts Championship, where he was edged out by his sharp-shooting rival Mitchell Lawrie, Kaya returned to the big stage facing the same opponent with unfinished business etched on his mind.
This time, under the lights of Arena MK, the script was rewritten. Tables turned. Balance restored. Baysal delivered a composed, commanding 2–0 victory in sets to claim the World Masters crown.
The road to that final confrontation was paved with relentless competition. More than 250 of the finest youth prospects in the game had converged, grinding through days of tungsten warfare, until only two remained. In a twist that felt almost preordained, the finalists were the same two names etched into the recent JDC World Championship decider.
Both arrived at the showdown in imperious fashion. Burnley’s Baysal was immaculate, not dropping a single set throughout the entire event. His semi-final performance was particularly eye-catching, dispatching compatriot Jack Nankervis with a superb ton-plus average that underlined both authority and composure.
Lawrie’s path was nearly as pristine. The Scot (pictured above) swept through his earlier rounds before Welsh youngster Harley Glycos briefly disrupted the symmetry by pinching a set in the semi-finals. Still, Lawrie advanced with confidence intact.
And so, once again, the two players many regard as the standard-bearers of the JDC generation stood opposite one another. Would it be a glorious double for the Scot, or could the Lancashire prodigy seize his moment?
The opening exchanges were delicately balanced, each claiming a leg apiece. Then came the pivot. Baysal held his nerve, captured the decider, and edged ahead – preserving his remarkable record of not conceding a single set all tournament. From there, the pattern was ruthless. Rinse. Repeat. Control asserted. The title secured.
In a performance brimming with belief and maturity beyond his years, the 15-year-old closed the match in memorable fashion.
It was a superb event, capped by a final of genuine quality. And one thing feels abundantly clear: this rivalry is only just beginning. Baysal and Lawrie are destined for far bigger stages, and this felt less like a conclusion than the opening chapter of two very promising journeys.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
