Power surges to double win

Taylor: special weekend

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Phil Taylor completed a PartyPoker.net Players Championship double with victory over Wayne Jones in Sunday's final - hitting a nine-darter on his way to another title.

Taylor and Dave Askew both followed Colin Lloyd in landing nine-darters in Germany, but it was Taylor who went on to take the £5,000 title for a second successive day.

Taylor had swept through the field on Saturday, and picked up his fourth tournament win of the month 24 hours later.

He landed a nine-darter in his win over Ronnie Baxter, who was one of only two players - alongside the impressive Spanish newcomer Carlos Rodriguez - to take a set from Taylor on his way to the final.

Roland Scholten hit a 170 checkout to take the opening leg of his quarter-final against Taylor, only for the Stoke legend to win six straight legs for the win and then whitewash Vincent van der Voort in the semis.

Lead

Taylor took a swift two-set lead in the final, taking the first set in legs of 13 and 11 darts and the second in 13 and 15.

Jones edged the third 2-1 and double nine put him in front in set four, only for Taylor to typically find an extra gear.

A 174 score in the next left him double 16, which he landed to level, and Taylor then took out 161 to claim the title.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," said Taylor. "I've had two great days and the hard work is paying off for me.

"To hit a nine-darter was fantastic too, I'd come close a couple of times during the weekend and it was brilliant to get that."

Jones added: "Phil didn't miss a thing and even though my scoring wasn't great in the final he deserved to win."

Jones surpassed up his run to the semi-finals of the Blue Square UK Open Southern Regional Final three weeks ago by seeing off Tony Eccles in straight sets in the last four.

He had earlier overcome Adrian Lewis 3-0 in the quarters and also defeated Dave Ladley, Steve Grubb, Terry Jenkins and Mervyn King.

Eccles joined Jones in moving up the Players Championship Order of Merit - and improving his chance of a Stan James World Matchplay qualifying spot - by reaching the semi-finals and including Wayne Mardle among his victims.

Loser

Scholten was a last eight loser to Taylor for a second successive day, while Steve Maish reached his first quarter-final of the year before losing to Jones.

James Wade was blown out 3-0 by van der Voort in the quarters, after holding off a fightback from Denis Ovens in the last 16.

Van der Voort defied a 160 finish to see off Andy Hamilton in the last 16, while Maish produced a ten-darter in the deciding leg of his clash with Raymond van Barneveld, Saturday's runner-up.Van Barneveld had earlier won a deciding leg thriller, hitting an 11-darter to see off Jelle Klaasen, who had earlier missed darts for a 3-0 victory.

Dave Askew followed Colin Lloyd's nine darter on Saturday by achieving the perfect leg himself, in a defeat to Wade.

The feat was matched by Taylor in the last 16, with the sharing the £400 nine-dart bonus, after Lloyd scooped the rolling £12,400 prize 24 hours earlier.