Phil Taylor ends eight-year retirement as he announces shock darts return

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Phil Taylor is set to make a return to competitive darts in Portsmouth this November.

The 16-time world champion will join forces with close friend Adrian Lewis at the MODUS Super Series International Pairs Tournament from November 23-28.

Taylor, now 66, stepped away from professional play in 2018, five years after claiming his final world crown.

Speaking on his return, Taylor said: “I’ve been asked plenty of times about coming back, but it would have to be for the right reason.

“Adrian is one of the very few people I’d come out of retirement to play alongside, and the MODUS Super Series is the place I wanted to do it.

“We’ve got a lot of history together, we know each other’s games inside out, and I’m looking forward to getting back up there with him.”

The duo previously combined to capture four World Cup of Darts titles.

Taylor is widely regarded as the greatest darts player in history, having claimed 16 world titles in his glittering career. He also won the World Matchplay on 16 occasions, as well as the World Grand Prix 11 times.

Lewis, who is 25 years Taylor’s junior, is also a two-time world champion having claimed the title in back-to-back years in 2011 and 2012.

He also made the final of the World Matchplay in 2013 after finishing runner-up in the World Grand Prix three years earlier.

This year’s World Grand Prix got off to a dramatic start on Monday night when defending champion Luke Littler was dumped out by fellow Englishman Luke Woodhouse.

On a night for the underdogs, seven-time champion Michael van Gerwen also crashed out after squandering a one-set lead to lose to Ryan Joyce.

Wales’ Gerwyn Price crushed Polish debutant Sebastian Bialecki 2-0, averaging 101.61 and nailing three 180s as he launched his bid to win a title he last claimed in 2020 with an impressive win.

Fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton also booked his place in the second round by battling past Krzysztof Ratajski, while English duo Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith survived match darts to progress beyond the opening round in Leicester.