SUPER SCOT ANDERSON COMPLETES PROTOUR QUINTET

GARY ANDERSON claimed his fifth PDC ProTour victory of 2011 with a 6-2 defeat of Red Dragons Peter Wright in the final of Sunday^s Players Championship in Derby.

The Scot continued his great form on the professional circuit with a brilliant display as he backed up June^s Players Championship double-header in Holland with another triumph.

His run to the £6,000 title included victories over former World Champions Dennis Priestley, Mark Webster and John Part, as well as 6-1 defeats of Ireland^s John O^Shea and Speedy Hire UK Open semi-finalist Denis Ovens.

The 888.com Premier League Darts champion showed his class in coming from 5-4 down to win his semi-final with Part, hitting two 180s in an 11-darter to force a deciding leg before landing another maximum in a 14-dart leg to take victory.

After securing an immediate break of throw in the final, he took out two classy 131 checkouts - hitting treble 17 and a pair of double tops on each occasion - as well as a 14-darter in taking a 4-1 lead against Wright.

The Lowestoft ace hit back to win the sixth leg, but Anderson restored his advantage with another 14-darter and punished three misses from Wright in the next to wrap up the win on double top.

Wright^s display earned him £3,000 and saw him reach his first PDC ProTour final since April 2010 - which also came at the Moorways Centre in Derby, when he lost to Phil Taylor.

The world number 32 claimed the notable scalps of in-form duo Wes Newton and Paul Nicholson in the latter stages, as well as defeating Robert Thornton, Magnus Caris, Nick Fullwell and youngster Adam Smith-Neale on the day.

Part followed up Saturday^s run to fourth final of the year by reaching the last four 24 hours later, while Nicholson led 5-4 in his semi-final with Wright before being overhauled.

Former Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship finalist Kirk Shepherd reached his first quarter-final on the circuit for 18 months, while Nigel Heydon was in the last eight for the first time since January after picking up wins over Tony Eccles, Mark Dudbridge, Simon Whitlock and Alex Roy.

Teenager Adam Smith-Neale and Mick Todd both reached the last 16 on the PDC ProTour for the first time since joining the circuit in January, with Newark^s Todd defeating Saturday^s Players Championship winner Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 in their first round game.

The next Players Championships will be held at the Van Der Valk Hotel in Nuland on September 24 & 25, and will be the final two events before the qualifiers for next month^s World Grand Prix are confirmed.

 

Players Championship 18 (Derby, Sunday)

First Round

Wes Newton (1) Bye

Dyson Parody 6-0 Mike Roberts

Dave Chisnall (32) 6-5 Chris Thompson

Jason Crawley 6-1 John Walton

Michael Smith 6-2 Andy Smith (16)

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Mareno Michels

Steve Beaton (17) 6-3 Andy Jenkins

Kevin McDine 6-4 Darren Johnson

Jamie Caven (8) Bye

Brian Woods 6-0 Martyn Turner

Dennis Smith (25) 6-2 Ian White

Adam Smith-Neale 6-5 Andy Pearce

Vincent van der Voort (9) Bye

Nick Fullwell 6-2 Nicky Bache

Peter Wright (24) 6-4 Robert Thornton

Magnus Caris 6-1 Matt Padgett

Paul Nicholson (5) Bye

Steve Evans 6-2 Gary Welding

Andy Hamilton (28) 6-5 Steven Pearson

Andy Brown 6-3 David Coyne

Colin Lloyd (12) Bye

Andy Relf 6-3 Matthew Edgar

Steve Farmer (21) 6-3 Steve Grubb

John Henderson 6-3 Peter Manley

Ronnie Baxter (4) Bye

Matt Clark 6-4 Michael Barnard

Wayne Jones (29) 6-0 Dave Honey

Roland Scholten 6-3 Paul Rowley

Kevin Painter (13) Bye

William O^Connor 6-5 Adrian Gray

Shaun Griffiths 6-5 Mervyn King (20)

Kirk Shepherd 6-3 Louis Blundell

Gary Anderson (2) Bye

John O^Shea 6-2 Darrell Claydon

Dennis Priestley (31) 6-3 Brendan Dolan

Mark Frost 6-1 Andrew Hibbert

Alan Tabern (15) 6-0 Ryan Harrington

Chris Aubrey 6-3 Steve Hine

Denis Ovens (18) 6-1 Dylan Duo

Ian Jopling 6-0 Paul Schofield

Mark Walsh (7) Bye

Darren Whittingham 6-1 Andy Hutchings

Terry Temple 6-5 Steve Brown (26)

Mick Todd 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld

Mark Webster (10) Bye

Adam Hunt 6-4 Kevin Dowling

Richie Burnett (23) 6-2 Scott Rand

Barrie Bates 6-4 Nigel Birch

John Part (6) Bye

Michael Mansell 6-2 Matt Jackson

Mark Hylton (27) 6-3 Gary Mawson

James Richardson 6-1 Steve Maish

Justin Pipe (11) Bye

Reece Robinson 6-2 Stephen Hardy

Co Stompe (22) 6-4 Peter Hudson

Dave Smith 6-4 Joe Cullen

Simon Whitlock (3) Bye

Andy Pearson 6-3 Geoff Whitworth

Nigel Heydon 6-2 Tony Eccles (30)

Mark Dudbridge 6-1 Adrian Bolitho

Terry Jenkins (14) Bye

Tony Ayres 6-2 Mark Jones

Colin Osborne (19) 6-2 Wayne Atwood

Alex Roy 6-1 Simon Burt

 

Second Round

Wes Newton 6-5 Dyson Parody

Dave Chisnall 6-4 Jason Crawley

Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Michael Smith

Kevin McDine 6-4 Steve Beaton

Brian Woods 6-5 Jamie Caven

Adam Smith-Neale 6-5 Dennis Smith

Nick Fullwell 6-5 Vincent van der Voort

Peter Wright 6-1 Magnus Caris

Paul Nicholson 6-2 Steve Evans

Andy Hamilton 6-0 Andy Brown

Colin Lloyd 6-2 Andy Relf

John Henderson 6-5 Steve Farmer

Matt Clark 6-3 Ronnie Baxter

Wayne Jones 6-4 Roland Scholten

Kevin Painter 6-5 William O^Connor

Kirk Shepherd 6-4 Shaun Griffiths

Gary Anderson 6-1 John O^Shea

Dennis Priestley 6-5 Mark Frost

Chris Aubrey 6-3 Alan Tabern

Denis Ovens 6-5 Ian Jopling

Darren Whittingham 6-3 Mark Walsh

Mick Todd 6-5 Terry Temple

Mark Webster 6-2 Adam Hunt

Richie Burnett 6-2 Barrie Bates

John Part 6-5 Michael Mansell

James Richardson 6-5 Mark Hylton

Justin Pipe 6-5 Reece Robinson

Co Stompe 6-2 Dave Smith

Simon Whitlock 6-0 Andy Pearson

Nigel Heydon 6-5 Mark Dudbridge

Tony Ayres 6-4 Terry Jenkins

Alex Roy 6-4 Colin Osborne

Losers £200

 

Third Round

Wes Newton 6-5 Dave Chisnall

Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Kevin McDine

Adam Smith-Neale 6-1 Brian Woods

Peter Wright 6-4 Nick Fullwell

Paul Nicholson 6-4 Andy Hamilton

John Henderson 6-2 Colin Lloyd

Wayne Jones 6-3 Matt Clark

Kirk Shepherd 6-3 Kevin Painter

Gary Anderson 6-1 Dennis Priestley

Denis Ovens 6-4 Chris Aubrey

Mick Todd 6-5 Darren Whittingham

Mark Webster 6-5 Richie Burnett

John Part 6-3 James Richardson

Justin Pipe 6-5Co Stompe

Nigel Heydon 6-4 Simon Whitlock

Alex Roy 6-3 Tony Ayres

Losers £400

 

Fourth Round

Wes Newton 6-3 Michael van Gerwen

Peter Wright 6-4 Adam Smith-Neale

Paul Nicholson 6-5 John Henderson

Kirk Shepherd 6-4 Wayne Jones

Gary Anderson 6-1 Denis Ovens

Mark Webster 6-1 Mick Todd

John Part 6-1 Justin Pipe

Nigel Heydon 6-2 Alex Roy

Losers £600

 

Quarter-Finals

Peter Wright 6-2 Wes Newton

Paul Nicholson 6-1 Kirk Shepherd

Gary Anderson 6-2 Mark Webster

John Part 6-4 Nigel Heydon

Losers £1,000

 

Semi-Finals

Peter Wright 6-5 Paul Nicholson

Gary Anderson 6-5 John Part

Losers £2,000

 

Final

Gary Anderson 6-2 Peter Wright

Winner £6,000

Runner-Up £3,000

 

Semi-Finals

Wright led 2-0 before Nicholson levelled, and the pair continued to trade legs until the Lowestoft ace took the tenth leg to force a decider and then claimed victory on double ten.

Anderson also won through to the final in a deciding leg as he overcame John Part. Anderson hit an 11-darter to level in leg ten and opened the final leg with a maximum, punishing three misses from Part at double 18 and nine to take the win with a 14-darter.

 

Final - leg-by-leg

Peter Wright v Gary Anderson

0-0 - Peter Wright wins the bull and will throw first

0-1 - Wright misses double top and ten for a 91 finish, and Anderson lands double ten to break in 15 darts.

0-2 - Anderson finishes a 12-darter with a classy 131 finish of treble 17 and two double tops to move 2-0 up.

1-2 - Wright finishes 86 in two darts for a 14-darter to get off the mark.

1-3 - Anderson repeats his earlier 131 checkout in the same manner to regain a two-leg cushion.

1-4 - Anderson breaks in 14 darts as the players continue to trade ton-plus scores, only for Wright to miss double eight, four and two for the leg before Anderson nails double top once more.

2-4 - Wright hits a 180 and is first to a finish, but after missing four darts for the leg is given a reprieve when Anderson sees two darts miss double top, and he returns to post double five and break back.

2-5 - Anderson breaks back, hitting two 140s and double ten in a 14-darter to move a leg away from victory.

2-6 - Wright hits four scores of 100 or better to be first to a finish, but again misses his chance as three darts at double 12 and six miss their target, and Anderson hits tops to seal the win.