'This is just the start' as Ted Hankey comeback clinches win in Grand Slam of darts

The Shropshire darter staged a superb second-round recovery from 6-1 down to level at 7-7, lead 8-9 and then take a 10-9 victory on 58 in a dramatic last-leg decider last night. A remarkable comeback brought tears from the Telford-based darter, who lives in Aqueduct and suffered a stroke last year during this competition.

Hankey, who also suffered whiplash in a car collision two months ago, said:?"It's been a rough 18 months for me but I know I can play the game and I'm looking forward to the quarter-finals.

"It's like I've been given a new lease of life and this can kickstart my career.

"I felt so good before I walked out and, all of a sudden, I was 6-1 down. I was thinking to myself 'I am a better player than this, what's going on?'

"I started to wind myself up and got my own ego going and, all of a sudden, I was getting so aggressive. At the same time, it was affecting Simon.

"He couldn't seem to handle my aggressiveness, but it wasn't directed at him.

"In the last leg the biggest two darts of my life was at that 58.

"I was saying to myself 'for one time in your life, go 18 then tops.' And it went in, that's why I was so emotional.

"It's been a rough 18 months, it really has, but I keep going."

Hankey's fractious relationship with the Wolverhampton Civic Hall fans went from jeers to cheers.

But his biggest fan in the audience was son Edward, seven, who was watching his father play darts on stage for the first time.

Hankey, 45, added: "He loves darts himself, he plays regularly and he's very good at it. And he was back at school today, don't worry about that. Hopefully, he will be back here tomorrow.

"When I started to come back the crowd were on my side."

Hankey now plays BDO world champion Scott Waites tomorrow night in the last eight.