The Reaper Rises Again with Winmau Darts Trophy Triumph

Adam Sevada claimed his 11th career CDC Tour title on Friday night, defeating Leonard Gates 7-3 in the final of the Winmau Darts Trophy in Indianapolis.

The top seed produced a superb day’s work to deny Gates a 15th CDC Tour crown, prevailing in a heavyweight final between two of the most decorated players in Championship Darts Circuit history.

Sevada was in control for much of the showpiece, averaging over 100 through the opening seven legs before finishing with a 95.88 average in a high-quality final. Gates also produced strong numbers, averaging 91.76, but Sevada’s scoring power and timely finishing proved decisive.

After the opening two legs were shared, Sevada took command by winning five straight legs, including back-to-back 12-darters in legs five and seven. Gates responded with consecutive legs of his own, including a 133 checkout, but Sevada closed out the title with a 15-dart leg to complete a 7-3 victory.

Earlier in the day, Sevada had begun the final stages with a 6-1 quarterfinal win over ninth seed Joey Lynaugh, before sweeping past Jeff Smith 7-2 in the semifinals. Smith, fresh off winning three events at the WDF tournament in Las Vegas, enjoyed his best CDC Tour result of the season, reaching the semifinals before bowing out to Sevada.

Gates booked his place in the final with a hard-fought 6-5 quarterfinal win over seventh seed Doug Boehm, before defeating 11th seed Danny Young 7-3 in the last four. Young had earlier continued his strong run of form by edging third seed David Cameron 6-5 in the quarterfinals, while Smith was the only unseeded player to progress beyond the Last 16 on a day largely dominated by the favorites.

Sevada also topped the statistical charts across the day, averaging 91.91 over 47 legs, with Smith close behind at 89.53 over 43 legs. The maximum count was shared at the top, with Sevada, Gates and Boehm each firing in ten 180s during the event.

For Sevada, the victory adds another title to an already glittering CDC résumé and prevents Gates from extending his own record haul, as the battle at the top of the North American game continues to produce compelling chapters. The next to be written will be on Saturday as Event #6 – the Cosmo Darts Classic – kicks off at Noon, Eastern Time with five boards streaming to PDCTV and the feature board also on the champdarts YouTube Channel.

QUARTERFINALS
Adam Sevada (1) 6-1 Joey Lynaugh (9)
Alex Spellman (4) 0-6 Jeff Smith
Leonard Gates (2) 6-5 Doug Boehm (7)
David Cameron (3) 5-6 Danny Young (11)

SEMIFINALS
Adam Sevada 7-2 Jeff Smith
Leonard Gates 7-3 Danny Young

FINAL
Adam Sevada 7-3 Leonard Gates