Vegas pays off for Anderson

Scot provisionally moves into top 16 with third title of 2010

Last updated: 29th June 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Vegas pays off for Anderson

Anderson: Third title in 2010

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Gary Anderson claimed the Las Vegas Players Championship with a 6-4 victory over Simon Whitlock.

The Scot claimed his third title in 2010, while he was also runner-up in the Rileys Darts Zones UK Open, to provisionally put himself inside the top 16.

He had to do it the hard way, though, including needing all 11 legs to defeat Mark Hylton in the first round at the Tropicana Hotel.

However Anderson then whitewashed fellow Scot Chris Loudon and Wales' Mark Webster in progressing to the last 16 of the event.

The quarter-finalist in Sunday's PDC US Open Players Championship then knocked out Steve Maish and Paul Lim before a 6-2 win over Colin Lloyd put him through to the final.

Whitlock, who had come back from 5-1 down to beat Canada's Ken MacNeil in the quarter-finals, took the opening leg before losing the next three.

The Australian fought back to level matters after eight legs - only to then miss crucial doubles in the ninth, at double 18 and then double nine.

Tough

Anderson made him pay, stepping up to take out 68 before hitting a 177 score and double eight in the next to seal the £6,000 prize.

"I'm really pleased to win this event," said Anderson. "Simon played well in the final and made it tough for me, but I'm glad I got over the finishing line."

As well as his comeback against MacNeil, Whitlock defeated Denis Ovens, Sean Smyth, Donny Joe and Colin Monk to reach the last four.

He then booked his place in the final with a 6-2 result against Chris Thompson, who had knocked out Phil Taylor in the previous round.

Thompson's run saw him close in on a qualification spot for the StanJames.com World Matchplay ahead of a potentially dramatic final Players Championship on Tuesday - after when the 16 Players Championship Order of Merit qualifiers will be confirmed.

Anderson's success, meanwhile, means Paul Nicholson could miss out on the World Matchplay, with Nigel Heydon currently ahead of him in the Players Championship Order of Merit.

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