John Henderson clinches World Seniors Matchplay title

John Henderson sealed his second World Seniors major title of 2024 at the BetGoodwin World Seniors Matchplay in York on Saturday.

Henderson, who was crowned World Seniors champion at the Circus Tavern in February, backed up that triumph with further televised silverware at the York Barbican.

The 51-year-old defeated defending champion Leonard Gates 9-6 in the final to scoop the £10,000 top prize.

Henderson had battled past Tony O’Shea in Friday’s opening round before edging out Canada’s David Cameron 8-6 in the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon with a 93.5 average.

He then dispatched top seed Richie Howson 9-6 in the semi-finals, before fending off a late Gates revival in the final to claim glory.

“My form coming into this was not in a good place,” admitted Henderson. “To come here and win with the field as strong as it is, means everything to me.

“I’ll take a lot from it. I started off strong tonight, I went 4-1 up at the first break and I knew I was going to get some kind of fightback from him.

“I’m glad just to get over the line. The pressure was unbelievable, I felt my hand shaking. If that double 18 hadn’t have gone in with the third dart, it’d have gone the distance.

“Winning these Seniors events is brilliant, we all want to go onto the main [PDC] tour obviously, that’s my main aim.

“The Seniors has been the making of me, I’m glad to have been in it and I’m glad to be the [Seniors] World Champion and now the Matchplay champion.”

Henderson stamped his authority on the final from the outset, storming into a 4-0 lead before Gates got off the mark prior to the first interval.

The Scotsman extended his lead to 6-1 before Gates responded with three of the next four legs to peg back to 7-4 behind.

Henderson moved to the cusp of victory at 8-4 before the American applied further pressure with back-to-back legs, but ‘The Highlander’ eventually got over the line on double 18 after initially missing eight match darts.

Gates fell narrowly short in his bid to retain the title, following up Friday’s 8-5 defeat of James Richardson with an 8-1 demolition of Lisa Ashton in the quarter-finals.

He then thrashed 2022 champion Robert Thornton 9-4 in the semi-finals but was ultimately punished for a number of crucial missed doubles in the final.

“John played great, he hit at the right times and I missed at the wrong times,” said Gates.

“He knew how to stay ahead and win, and that’s what he did.

“I have to work on staying consistent and to finish.”

The fourth and final WSDT major of the year takes place next month, with the BetGoodwin World Seniors Masters heading to Sunderland from November 8-9.

World Seniors Matchplay 2024 Day Two Results

Saturday October 5

Afternoon Session

Quarter-Finals
Richie Howson 8-4 Neil Duff
David Cameron 6-8 John Henderson
Leonard Gates 8-1 Lisa Ashton
Martin Adams 4-8 Robert Thornton

Evening Session

Semi-Finals
Richie Howson 6-9 John Henderson
Leonard Gates 9-4 Robert Thornton

Final
John Henderson 9-6 Leonard Gates

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