SAINT TABERN TRIUMPHS IN WIGAN

ALAN TABERN tasted victory on rival soil - winning the North-West Players Championship in Wigan with a 3-0 defeat of Chris Mason.

The St Helens thrower, and avid rugby league fan, triumphed at the Robin Park Tennis Centre - just yards from the JJB Stadium, home of St Helens' rivals Wigan Warriors.

Tabern, the world number 14, was in exceptional form to defeat Mason in the final, after earlier taking wins against Terry Jenkins, Mervyn King and Wayne Mardle.

Tabern defied a 140 finish from Mason to take the first set of the final 2-1 against the throw.

He led in the second before Mason landed a 13-darter to level, only for the local favourite to delight his supporters with a 161 finish to take the set - with his opponent waiting on 24.

Tabern stepped up a gear, landing two 140s and a maximum in a 13-darter to open the third set, and he landed another 180 to open the next before taking out double 16 at the first attempt for victory and the £5,000 winner's cheque.

"That's very pleasing," said Tabern. "To win in Wigan is great - there's a great rivalry in the rugby and it's special, although I do want Wigan's football team to do well!

"But for me this is a great win. It's my first for exactly two years and it was very important in the Order of Merit because I had £4,000 coming off this weekend."

He added: "Every game is hard, and I've had to play well to win this. If someone told me I'd defeat Mervyn King, Wayne Mardle and Chris Mason to win this I'd have snatched their hands off, but that's what I've done."

Mason was a 3-1 winner against Michael van Gerwen in the semis, and also knocked out world number three James Wade and Roland Scholten to reach his first final since November.

Mardle had earlier missed double 18 for a nine-darter during his win over Jelle Klaasen - whose fellow Dutchman Vincent van der Voort wired double 12 in his bid for a perfect leg, which boasts a £12,000 prize fund in Players Championship events.

Colin Lloyd and Peter Manley had also failed in nine-darter attempts on the eighth dart during the day.

Van Gerwen's run to the last four followed his quarter-final appearance in the Blue Square UK Open Southern Regional Final a fortnight ago.

Mardle included Ronnie Baxter and Colin Lloyd among his victims en route to the semis, with Baxter edging out Phil Taylor in the last 16.

Dennis Priestley reached the last 16 on his return to action after a prostate cancer operation in January, coming from 2-0 down to win against fellow Yorkshireman Chris Thompson in the last 32 before losing to Scholten.

Wade, Terry Jenkins and Andy Hamilton were other players from the world's top ten to fall in the last 16, with Kevin Dowling among the quarter-finalists following a fine day.

North-West Players Championship

Preliminary Round

Matt Clark 3-0 Jason Crawley

Brendan Dolan 3-1 Darren Moulsley

Dave Smith 3-1 Kevin Harris

Steve Cusick Bye (Richie Burnett)

Louis Blundell 3-0 Sean Dowling

James Keogh 3-0 Peter Edmonds

John Ferrell 3-0 David Platt

Taro Yachi 3-0 Jim Leighton

Jelle Klaasen 3-2 Andy Howarth

Darren Johnson 3-0 Alan Reynolds

Robert Watson-Lang 3-2 Jamie Caven

Dennis Smith 3-1 Alan Green

Mick Savvery 3-0 Danny King

Joey Palfreyman 3-0 Jon Archer

Lee Holden 3-2 Darren Green

Tom Martin 3-2 Mark Carter

Mark Lawrence 3-0 Jimmy Mann

Frazer Hill 3-1 Dave Ladley

Wayne Atwood 3-1 Paul Williams

Steve Musson 3-1 Gary Barnett

Dan Cook 3-1 Darren Whittingham

Owen Caffrey 3-2 Jamie Robinson

Darren Latham 3-1 Lyndon Davies

Jamie Harvey 3-2 Rico Vonck

Pat Orreal 3-2 Richard Foster

Gary Mawson 3-0 Andy Mason

Kevin McDine 3-0 Gary Blades

Lee Williams 3-1 Alan Caves

Tony Ayres 3-0 Chris Daglish

Gary Welding 3-2 Lee White

Matt Jackson 3-1 Ken Dobson

Shayne Burgess 3-0 Kieran Leal

Jonathan Overton Bye (Andy Gourlay)

John Kuczynski 3-1 Sean White

Simon Whatley 3-1 Gary Noonan

Chris Thompson 3-0 Ricky Williams

Tony Eccles 3-0 Matt Chapman

Ian Joling 3-0 Peter Aleman

Mark Tiller 3-0 Richard Plowman

Michael Smith 3-1 Jim Young

Lee Palfreyman 3-0 Andy Pearson

Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Tony Littleton

Stephen Hardy 3-0 Steve Grubb

Nick Fulwell 3-0 Russell Mason

Dale Pinch 3-1 Paul Anthony

Kevin Dowling 3-1 Kelvin Painter

Mark Frost 3-1 Nigel Birch

Richard McLaughlin 3-1 Ben Burton

First Round

Phil Taylor 3-1 Martyn Turner

Matt Clark 3-0 Ian Critchett

Brendan Dolan 3-0 Alan Warriner-Little

Dave Smith 3-0 Brian Jones

Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Aaron Monk

Steve Cusick 3-1 Chris Cooper

Louis Blundell 3-1 Colin Osborne

James Keogh 3-1 Ian Lever

Wayne Mardle 3-1 Scott Marsh

John Ferrell 3-1 Kevin Reade

Alex Roy 3-1 Taro Yachi

Jelle Klaasen 3-0 Tom Wilson

Colin Lloyd 3-1 Jason Barry

Darren Johnson 3-0 Peter Walford

Robert Watson-Lang 3-0 Wes Newton

Dennis Smith 3-0 Chris Sargeant

Ben Simpson Bye (Adrian Lewis)

Mick Savvery 3-1 Ian Walters

Mark Walsh 3-1 Joey Palfreyman

Steve Brown 3-1 Lee Holden

Barrie Bates Bye (Mark Jones)

Tom Martin 3-2 Pete Allen

Mervyn King 3-0 Mark Lawrence

Frazer Hill 3-1 Stuart Holden

Terry Jenkins 3-0 Paul Cooper

Wayne Atwood 3-0 Steve Maish

Steve Musson 3-0 Adrian Gray

Martin Burchell 3-1 Dan Cook

Alan Tabern 3-2 John Quantock

Owen Caffrey 3-0 Jimmy O'Regan

Kirk Shepherd 3-2 Darren Latham

Jamie Harvey 3-2 Chris Beeston

James Wade 3-0 Danny Pinhorne

Michael Barnard 3-2 Pat Orreal

Gary Mawson 3-1 Dave Askew

Kevin McDine 3-0 Robbie Newland

Denis Ovens 3-0 Colin Monk

Garry Spedding 3-1 Lee Williams

Chris Mason 3-0 Tony Ayres

Gary Welding 3-1 Steve Lane

Roland Scholten 3-0 Dave Ansell

Darren Sutton 3-2 Matt Jackson

Shayne Burgess 3-1 Mick McGowan

Jonathan Overton 3-2 Karl Loiseau

Dennis Priestley 3-2 Dave Honey

John Kuczynski 3-1 John MaGowan

Vincent van der Voort 3-2 Simon Whatley

Chris Thompson 3-0 Carlos Rodriguez

Andy Hamilton 3-0 Lionel Sams

Steve Smith 3-1 Tony Eccles

Steve Beaton 3-0 Ian Jopling

Mark Tiller 3-1 Ian Eames

Peter Manley 3-1 Peter Wright

Steve Hine 3-2 Michael Smith

Lee Palfreyman 3-2 Andy Smith

Michael van Gerwen 3-2 Mark Jodrill

John Part 3-0 Scott Kirchner

Stephen Hardy 3-1 Bob Crawley

Wayne Jones 3-0 Nick Fulwell

Steve Evans 3-2 Dale Pinch

Darrell Thorpe 3-2 Kevin Painter

Kevin Dowling 3-0 Graeme Stoddart

Mark Frost 3-1 Mark Dudbridge

Darrell Townsend 3-2 Richard McLaughlin

Second Round

Phil Taylor 3-0 Matt Clark

Brendan Dolan 3-0 Dave Smith

Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Steve Cusick

Louis Blundell 3-0 James Keogh

Wayne Mardle 3-0 John Ferrell

Jelle Klaasen 3-0 Alex Roy

Colin Lloyd 3-1 Darren Johnson

Dennis Smith 3-2 Robert Watson-Lang

Mick Savvery 3-0 Ben Simpson

Mark Walsh 3-1 Steve Brown

Tom Martin 3-2 Barrie Bates

Mervyn King 3-0 Frazer Hill

Terry Jenkins 3-0 Wayne Atwood

Martin Burchell 3-0 Steve Musson

Alan Tabern 3-0 Owen Caffrey

Kirk Shepherd 3-0 Jamie Harvey

James Wade 3-2 Michael Barnard

Gary Mawson 3-1 Kevin McDine

Garry Spedding 3-0 Denis Ovens

Chris Mason 3-0 Gary Welding

Roland Scholten 3-1 Darren Sutton

Shayne Burgess 3-2 Jonathan Overton

Dennis Priestley 3-1 John Kuczynski

Chris Thompson 3-1 Vincent van der Voort

Andy Hamilton 3-1 Steve Smith

Steve Beaton 3-0 Mark Tiller

Peter Manley 3-1 Steve Hine

Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Lee Palfreyman

Stephen Hardy 3-1 John Part

Steve Evans 3-2 Wayne Jones

Kevin Dowling 3-2 Darrell Thorpe

Mark Frost 3-2 Darrell Townsend

Losers £75

Third Round

Phil Taylor 3-0 Brendan Dolan

Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Louis Blundell

Wayne Mardle 3-2 Jelle Klaasen

Colin Lloyd 3-2 Dennis Smith

Mark Walsh 3-2 Mick Savvery

Mervyn King 3-1 Tom Martin

Terry Jenkins 3-2 Martin Burchell

Alan Tabern 3-0 Kirk Shepherd

James Wade 3-0 Gary Mawson

Chris Mason 3-1 Garry Spedding

Roland Scholten 3-0 Shayne Burgess

Dennis Priestley 3-2 Chris Thompson

Andy Hamilton 3-2 Steve Beaton

Michael van Gerwen 3-2 Peter Manley

Steve Evans 3-2 Stephen Hardy

Kevin Dowling 3-2 Mark Frost

Losers £150

Fourth Round

Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Phil Taylor

Wayne Mardle 3-2 Colin Lloyd

Mervyn King 3-1 Mark Walsh

Alan Tabern 3-2 Terry Jenkins

Chris Mason 3-1 James Wade

Roland Scholten 3-0 Dennis Priestley

Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Andy Hamilton

Kevin Dowling 3-2 Steve Evans

Losers £300

Quarter-Finals

Wayne Mardle 3-0 Ronnie Baxter

Alan Tabern 3-1 Mervyn King

Chris Mason 3-1 Roland Scholten

Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Kevin Dowling

Losers £600

Semi-Finals

Alan Tabern 3-1 Wayne Mardle

Chris Mason 3-1 Michael van Gerwen

Losers £1,250

Final

Alan Tabern 3-0 Chris Mason (2-1, 2-1, 2-0)

Winner £5,000

Runner-Up £2,500