Evetts crowned Unicorn World Youth Champion

Evetts crowned Unicorn World Youth Champion

Ted Evetts was crowned Unicorn World Youth Champion for the first time in Minehead on Sunday after defeating Nathan Rafferty 6-4 in the final.

Ted Evetts was crowned Unicorn World Youth Champion for the first time in Minehead on Sunday after defeating Nathan Rafferty 6-4 in the final.

Competing in the World Youth Championship for the seventh and final time, the 24-year-old came back from 3-1 down to lift the title on the Main Stage at Butlin's Minehead Resort.

Evetts, who had already secured qualification for the 2021/22 World Championship via the ProTour Order of Merit, also receives the £10,000 winners' prize.

Earlier in the day, Evetts and Rafferty came through a 32-player tournament, played in group and knockout stages in Reds.

The early stages of the final saw Rafferty land the first break of throw to lead 3-1, before back-to-back legs from Evetts saw him draw level.

The following two legs were also won by Evetts, before Rafferty kept his hopes alive with a 100 checkout.

However, his hopes of a first World Youth Championship title were extinguished in the following leg as Evetts cleaned up 37 in two darts to end his youth career on a high.

"I'm over the moon, I would've swapped all my youth titles for this one," said Evetts, the most successful player in Development Tour history.

"If you'd have spoken to 16-year-old me who couldn't make it past the last 16, I wouldn't have believed I'd be standing here with this trophy.

"I don't think I've shown anywhere close to what I can do in the senior ranks so far. There's a lot more to come from me.

"Hopefully I can use this as a springboard for future success on the big stage."

2021 Unicorn World Youth Championship
Results
Group Stage
Group A

Callan Rydz 4-0 John Brown
Jack Male 4-0 Owen Roelofs
Jack Male 4-1 Callan Rydz
Owen Roelofs 4-3 John Brown
Callan Rydz 4-1 Owen Roelofs
Jack Male 4-1 John Brown

Group B
Adam Gawlas 4-2 Reece Colley
Nathan Rafferty 4-0 Joshua Richardson
Adam Gawlas 4-2 Nathan Rafferty
Reece Colley 4-2 Joshua Richardson
Adam Gawlas 4-0 Joshua Richardson
Nathan Rafferty 4-3 Reece Colley

Group C
Liam Meek 4-2 Keane Barry
Shusaku Nakamura 4-2 Jarred Cole
Keane Barry 4-2 Jarred Cole
Liam Meek 4-2 Shusaku Nakamura
Keane Barry 4-3 Shusaku Nakamura
Liam Meek 4-1 Jarred Cole

Group D
Ciaran Teehan 4-3 Dom Taylor
Geert Nentjes 4-0 Victor Manuel Rodriguez
Ciaran Teehan 4-1 Geert Nentjes
Dom Taylor 4-2 Victor Manuel Rodriguez
Ciaran Teehan 4-2 Victor Manuel Rodriguez
Geert Nentjes 4-3 Dom Taylor

Group E
Bradley Brooks 4-1 Lewis Pride
Lee Lok Yin 4-0 Tobias Fischer
Bradley Brooks 4-2 Lee Lok Yin
Lewis Pride 4-0 Tobias Fischer
Bradley Brooks 4-3 Tobias Fischer
Lewis Pride 4-3 Lee Lok Yin

Group F
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 4-1 Kevin Doets
Fabian Schmutzler 4-3 Jurjen van der Velde
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 4-3 Fabian Schmutzler
Kevin Doets 4-2 Jurjen van der Velde
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 4-2 Jurjen van der Velde
Kevin Doets 4-0 Fabian Schmutzler

Group G
Ted Evetts 4-3 Niko Springer
Keelan Kay 4-0 Sebastian Bialecki
Ted Evetts 4-1 Keelan Kay
Niko Springer 4-1 Sebastian Bialecki
Ted Evetts 4-2 Sebastian Bialecki
Keelan Kay 4-0 Niko Springer

Group H
Lewy Williams 4-0 Niels Zonneveld
Maikel Verberk 4-3 Cameron Anderson
Lewy Williams 4-2 Maikel Verberk
Niels Zonneveld 4-0 Cameron Anderson
Lewy Williams 4-1 Cameron Anderson
Niels Zonneveld 4-2 Maikel Verberk

Knockout Stage
Last 16

Nathan Rafferty 5-0 Jack Male
Adam Gawlas 5-4 Callan Rydz
Geert Nentjes 5-2 Liam Meek
Keane Barry 5-1 Ciaran Teehan
Kevin Doets 5-3 Bradley Brooks
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 5-1 Lewis Pride
Ted Evetts 5-0 Niels Zonneveld
Keelan Kay 5-1 Lewy Williams

Quarter-Finals
Nathan Rafferty 5-4 Adam Gawlas
Geert Nentjes 5-3 Keane Barry
Kevin Doets 5-1 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Ted Evetts 5-3 Keelan Kay

Semi-Finals
Nathan Rafferty 5-3 Geert Nentjes
Ted Evetts 5-1 Kevin Doets

Final
Ted Evetts 6-4 Nathan Rafferty