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
