VAN DER VOORT EDGES OUT TAYLOR IN AUSTRIAN FINAL
VINCENT VAN DER VOORT edged out Phil Taylor to win Sunday^s Austrian Open Players Championship final.
The Dutchman won his second tournament of the year with the £6,000 triumph, which takes him to the brink of a place in the world^s top 16 as his fine form continued at the Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt.
Having defeated Spain^s Martin Marti in the opening round, van der Voort knocked out Dave Chisnall, Brian Woods and Paul Nicholson to reach the quarter-finals, where he edged out Andy Smith 6-5.
He then overcame Mark Hylton 6-4 in the semis, before taking the narrowest of victories in the decider against Taylor, despite opening up an early 3-0 lead against the 15-time World Champion.
Taylor registered a 151 finish in the fourth leg to get off the mark with a 12-darter, and also won the next two to level, but missed a dart to take the lead in the seventh as van der Voort moved 4-3 up.
While Taylor took the eighth, van der Voort landed a 180 in a 13-dart leg to edged ahead 5-4, although the world number one forced a decider by taking the tenth.
Taylor also kicked off the deciding leg with a 180, but van der Voort - with the advantage of throwing first - hit back in kind before posting double ten for the victory.
Taylor^s run to the final saw him erase the memory of a rare exit in the last 16 a day earlier to John Part, and saw him pick up £3,000 as he prepared for Thursday^s 888.com Premier League Darts Play-Offs in fine fashion.
He defeated Austrian Josef Flonner 6-1 in his opening match, and also saw off Matt Padgett, John Henderson, Saturday^s runner-up Denis Ovens, Brendan Dolan and Justin Pipe on his way to the final.
Part followed up his win on Saturday by reaching the quarter-finals before losing to in-form Mark Hylton, who had been defeated in the last eight the previous day and eventually went down to van der Voort on Sunday, although his £3,000 prize money over the weekend moves the left-hander into the world^s top 50.
Justin Pipe enjoyed a run to his second semi-final of the year, while Andy Hamilton joined Part, Dolan and Smith in the quarter-finals.
ustrian Open Players Championship
Preliminary Round
Patrick Bulen 6-1 Enkelbert Marakovits
Gregor Gorjup 6-0 Christian Freidel
Co Stompe Jnr 6-2 Mujo Mahmutagic
Reinhard Fletzberger 6-4 Jorg Kraus
Martin Marti 6-1 Daniel Baeuerlein
Karl Binder 6-0 Johann Schweiger
Robert Marijanovic 6-2 Herbert Aringer
Robert Wagner 6-0 Kristain Kaufmann
Christian Kallinger 6-0 Ivan Petric
Stefan Schaffer 6-2 Gerhard Fichtinger
Kevin Munch 6-1 Josef Kraus
Andreas Riegler 6-0 Johann Sarrer
Christopher Ollinger 6-2 Rene Hellmich
Andreas Kutrowatz 6-2 Erich Mossinger
Rene Rapp 6-4 Hans-Peter Benseler
James Rodriguez 6-0 Michael Jacques
Marco Balzer 6-4 Norbert Stuckheil
Sebastian Pecjak 6-5 Zsolt Meszanos
Arno Merk 6-1 Guiseppe Quintiero
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Remco van Eijden
Josef Flonner 6-3 Reinhard Ertl
Michal Kocik 6-2 Erich Stadler
Josef Untermarzoner 6-3 Pierre Fink
Martin Kurecka 6-1 Markus Schoberwalter
Michael Rasztovitz 6-2 Romano Ruggeri
Christian Kruger 6-5 Wilfried Hoberg
Martino Tagliapietra 6-5 Andreas Weinzierl
Christian Maier 6-2 Robert Scherzer
Jonas Adler 6-5 Stefanie Luck
Roland Freistatter 6-0 Karsten Kornath
Zdravko Antunovic 6-2 Stefan Taferner
Tonci Restovic 6-2 Wilhelm Schwingenschlogel
First Round
Wes Newton (1) 6-0 Anton Pein
Patrick Bulen 6-0 Andy Hutchings
Robert Thornton (32) 6-4 Gregor Gorjup
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Steve Hine
Andy Smith (16) 6-2 Co Stompe Jnr
Steve Evans 6-4 Dietmar Burger
Steve Beaton (17) 6-0 Reinhard Fletzberger
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Arron Monk
Vincent van der Voort (8) 6-4 Martin Marti
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Jann Hoffmann
Tony Eccles (25) 6-1 Karl Binder
Brian Woods 6-2 Kevin Dowling
Paul Nicholson (9) 6-2 Robert Marijanovic
Steve Maish 6-4 Reece Robinson
Dennis Smith (24) 6-4 Robert Wagner
Michael Smith 6-3 Chris Thompson
Ronnie Baxter (5) 6-1 Maurizio Monterubbianesi
William O^Connor 6-3 Christian Kallinger
Mark Dudbridge (28) 6-1 Stefan Schaffer
Marko Kantele 6-2 Jon Archer
John Part (12) 6-2 Kevin Munch
Mick Todd 6-3 Dave Smith
Terry Jenkins (21) 6-0 Andreas Riegler
Jyhan Artut 6-3 Barrie Bates
Mark Walsh (4) 6-1 Ignacio Basullas
John Michael 6-1 Christopher Ollinger
Mark Hylton (29) 6-1 Andreas Kutrowatz
Michael Barnard 6-4 Magnus Caris
Co Stompe (13) 6-3 Rene Rapp
Ian White 6-0 Nick Fullwell
Colin Osborne (20) 6-2 James Rodriguez
Roland Scholten 6-4 Boris Krcmar
Simon Whitlock (2) 6-2 Hannes Schnier
Bernd Roith 6-0 Marco Balzer
Brendan Dolan (31) 6-5 Sebastian Pecjak
Antonio Alcinas 6-0 Steve Grubb
Kevin Painter (15) 6-1 Arno Merk
Veijo Viinikka 6-2 Mareno Michels
Richie Burnett (18) 6-1 Kim Huybrechts
Michael Mansell 6-2 Adam Smith-Neale
Phil Taylor (7) 6-1 Josef Flonner
Matt Padgett 6-4 Andree Welge
Steve Brown (26) 6-3 Michal Kocik
John Henderson 6-3 Devon Petersen
Denis Ovens (10) 6-3 Josef Untermarzoner
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Carlos Rodriguez
Jelle Klaasen (23) 6-4 Martin Kurecka
Kevin McDine 6-2 Ken MacNeil
Colin Lloyd (6) 6-1 Raul Invernon
Prakash Jiwa 6-5 Michael Rasztovitz
Christian Krüger 6-2 Nigel Heydon (27)
Per Laursen 6-5 Scott Rand
Alan Tabern (11) 6-0 Martino Tagliapietra
Joe Cullen 6-5 Darren Johnson
Andy Hamilton (22) 6-1 Christian Mayer
Kirk Shepherd 6-1 Nandor Bezzeg
Jamie Caven (3) 6-1 Arron Hardy
Jonas Adler 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Peter Wright (30) 6-1 Roland Freistatter
Maik Langendorf 6-5 Gary Welding
Justin Pipe (14) 6-3 Zdravko Antunovic
Chris Aubrey 6-1 Shane O^Connor
Wayne Jones (19) 6-0 Tonci Restovic
Michael Rosenauer 6-3 Dylan Duo
Second Round
Wes Newton 6-0 Patrick Bulen
Robert Thornton 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Andy Smith 6-0 Steve Evans
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Steve Beaton
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Dave Chisnall
Brian Woods 6-3 Tony Eccles
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Steve Maish
Michael Smith 6-1 Dennis Smith
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 William O^Conno
Marko Kantele 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
John Part 6-2 Mick Todd
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Jyhan Artut
Mark Walsh 6-3 John Michael
Mark Hylton 6-1 Michael Barnard
Ian White 6-0 Co Stompe
Roland Scholten 6-5 Colin Osborne
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Bernd Roith
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Antonio Alcinas
Kevin Painter 6-4 Veijo Viinikka
Michael Mansell 6-5 Richie Burnett
Phil Taylor 6-3 Matt Padgett
John Henderson 6-1 Steve Brown
Denis Ovens 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Kevin McDine 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Per Laursen 6-0 Christian Krüger
Alan Tabern 6-3 Joe Cullen
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Kirk Shepherd
Jamie Caven 6-5 Jonas Adler
Peter Wright 6-5 Maik Langendorf
Justin Pipe 6-5 Chris Aubrey
Wayne Jones 6-5 Michael Rosenauer
Losers £200
Third Round
Robert Thornton 6-4 Wes Newton
Andy Smith 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Brian Woods
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Michael Smith
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Marko Kantele
John Part 6-4 Terry Jenkins
Mark Hylton 6-1 Mark Walsh
Ian White 6-2 Roland Scholten
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Kevin Painter 6-4 Michael Mansell
Phil Taylor 6-2 John Henderson
Denis Ovens 6-4 Kevin McDine
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Per Laursen
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Alan Tabern
Jamie Caven 6-4 Peter Wright
Justin Pipe 6-1 Wayne Jones
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Andy Smith 6-3 Robert Thornton
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Paul Nicholson
John Part 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
Mark Hylton 6-1 Ian White
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Kevin Painter
Phil Taylor 6-4 Denis Ovens
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Colin Lloyd
Justin Pipe 6-3 Jamie Caven
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Andy Smith
Mark Hylton 6-1 John Part
Phil Taylor 6-1 Brendan Dolan
Justin Pipe 6-4 Andy Hamilton
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Mark Hylton
Phil Taylor 6-2 Justin Pipe
Losers £2,000
Final
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Phil Taylor
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000