Wizard wins in Germany

First Players Championship success of 2008 for Wizard

Last updated: 30th October 2008

Wizard wins in Germany

Osborne: German victory

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Colin Osborne grabbed a first Players Championship victory of the year by landing the German Darts Trophy in Dinslaken.

'The Wizard' weaved his magic at the Stadthalle to defeat Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez in a final leg shoot out to lift the trophy.

Derby-based thrower Osborne has won a UK Open Regional Final this season but the win in Germany was his first Players Championship success.

Robert Thornton and Mark Dudbridge were well beaten by Osborne en route to the final, where Rodriguez put up a superb display to run him all the way.

A first PDC Pro Tour final appearance for Rodriguez books him a place in the World Championships in December and also in the upcoming European Championship in Frankfurt.

For Osborne, the win takes him up to a career-high 12th in the ODC Order of Merit, while his victory against Dudbridge saw 'Flash' agonisingly miss out on the European Championship by one game.

Kevin Painter's run to the semis moves him ever closer to the top 16 and also gets him into the European Championship, unlike Dutch teenager Michael van Gerwen, who has to go through the qualifiers.