Rob Cross won the 2018 PDC World Darts Championship final as a debutant in the event.
Cross defeated Phil Taylor 7–2 in the final at Alexandra Palace in London on 1 January 2018. The victory was especially notable because Taylor, widely known as “The Power,” was playing his final professional tournament before retirement.
Cross entered the championship as a relatively new full-time professional and rapidly became one of the sport’s leading players. His run included a semi-final victory over defending champion Michael van Gerwen before the decisive final against Taylor.
The result is sometimes remembered simply as Taylor’s retirement match, but the champion was Cross. He became the first player since Dennis Priestley in 1991 to win the PDC world title in his debut appearance at the championship.