Serbian-born Austrian claimed the £100,000 title after stunning weekend
Monday 18 September 2017 15:08, UK
Mensur Suljovic said he felt "perfect" after claiming the Champions League of Darts title with a brilliant win over Gary Anderson in Cardiff on Sunday night.
Suljovic claimed the first televised title of his career with a brilliant 11-9 success over Gary Anderson after winning through with a series of outstanding performances throughout the weekend.
The 45-year-old opened the tournament with a 10-3 group stage win over Anderson and also saw off Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall to book a spot in the semi-finals.
There, Suljovic took out a stunning 160 checkout to seal an 11-9 win over Raymond van Barneveld as he secured his place in the decider.
The final proved an equally close affair, before the Austrian emotionally closed out an emotional victory to claim the £100,000 title.
Suljovic's fairytale story comes only weeks after the birth of his second child, a daughter Ema, and saw the Serbian-born ace emotionally drop to his knees on stage as he celebrated the success.
I never thought I could win this tournament
"I feel perfect," said Suljovic. "I never thought I could win this tournament. Gary is a brilliant player, a gentleman and I've got so much respect for him but I played well and I never gave up. I played well and was focused on my game but I never thought I could beat Gary twice.
"I couldn't dream of being in the semi-finals but I gave it my best and fought so hard. I was so happy to get to the final against the best players in the world."
Anderson said: "Mensur has been brilliant and you can see how much it means to him. He's been phenomenal for the last two years and he's been the best player this weekend. He deserves it - he's been the player of the tournament and smashed the lot of us."
The biggest names in darts will return to Dublin's Citywest Hotel from October 1-7 for the 2017 World Grand Prix and you will be able to watch all the action with us on Sky Sports
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