NICHOLSON COMPLETES CRAWLEY DOUBLE
PAUL NICHOLSON won his second Players Championship in Crawley of 2011, defeating resurgent Terry Jenkins 6-3 in Sunday^s final at the K2 Centre.
Nicholson had been victorious in March by winning a Players Championship at the venue, ending over a year without a tournament win for the 32-year-old.
He added a further victory in Sunday^s event, scooping the £6,000 first prize with a comeback win as Jenkins suffered defeat in the final for a second successive day.
Nicholson defeated Nicky Bache, Mark Frost and Mark Walsh to reach the quarter-finals of Sunday^s event, where he edged out Steve Brown 6-5.
He also repeated that scoreline in a dramatic semi-final with Wes Newton, who hit back from 3-1 down to level at four-all but missed a dart at the bullseye for a 167 finish in the deciding leg before Nicholson checked out double 18 for a 13-dart winning leg.
Despite that high, Nicholson was slow to start in the final as Jenkins broke in 13 darts and took out 117 to lead 2-0.
Although Nicholson hit back with a 13-dart leg to get off the mark, Jenkins replied in 14 on double top to lead 3-1.
Nicholson took the fifth with a 112 finish, and punished missed doubles from Jenkins in the next two as the game^s momentum swung to see the Newcastle-born ace lead 4-3.
Nicholson added a 180 in a 14-darter to break throw and win a fifth leg, before finishing 126 on the bullseye to win the title in the next with a 12-darter.
"I wish we could play all tournaments here!" said Nicholson. "This is fast-becoming a favourite venue of mine and it^s great to win again.
"The first win was a bit of a monkey off my back and I also got through to the final on the Sunday last time, and that experience got me through this time.
"I^ve got a bit more fighting spirit in me this year and I^ve got no doubt in my game now. If I was behind last year I would have lost, but I^m a different animal now.
"I^m really looking forward to the major tournament now and that starts in Bolton in a fortnight at the UK Open. I^ve had some chequered experiences there in the last two years but I^ve made an oath that I won^t make any mistakes this year.
"I^ve moved to Lancashire now and believe I^ve got more fans there now, and going into a major in this form means I can^t help but be positive."
Jenkins had been defeated by Gary Anderson in Saturday^s final, but claimed a total of £6,000 for the weekend as he showed great form in reply to missing out on the 888.com Premier League Darts Play-Offs.
Having defeated namesake Andy Jenkins and Holland^s Co Stompe 6-2 in his opening two games, he then overcame Darren Johnson 6-3 and defeated Mark Webster 6-5 in the quarter-finals.
He then saw off Scott Rand 6-4 in a tight semi-final, but paid for missed doubles in the final.
Rand^s run to the last four was his best performance on the PDC ProTour since turning professional a year ago, following two previous quarter-final appearances this year.
The Coventry-based player impressed with wins over Matt Clark, Jamie Caven, Matthew Edgar, Justin Pipe and John Henderson before being edged out by Jenkins.
In-form Newton continued his fine year with a sixth semi-final appearance, which included a superb 6-4 win over Vincent van der Voort in a high-quality quarter-final, which saw the Dutchman miss double 12 for a nine-dart finish.
Henderson^s run to the last eight improves his chances, alongside Rand and Steve Brown, of qualifying for the summer^s World Matchplay through the Players Championship Order of Merit after adding a further £1,000 to his year^s total.
Anderson^s bid to follow Thursday^s Premier League Darts win and Saturday^s title with another victory saw him lose out in the last 64 of Sunday^s event, as he suffered his first loss since May 5 with a 6-4 reverse against Spain^s Antonio Alcinas.
Players Championship Ten (Sunday)
First Round
Gary Anderson (1) Bye
Antonio Alcinas 6-2 Gary Mawson
Mark Dudbridge (32) 6-4 Wayne Atwood
Darren Johnson 6-4 Louis Blundell
Co Stompe (16) Bye
Michael Mansell 6-2 James Richardson
Terry Jenkins (17) Bye
Andy Jenkins 6-3 Steve Grubb
Colin Lloyd (8) Bye
Alex Roy 6-3 Adam Hunt
Steve Beaton (25) 6-1 Colin Monk
Roland Scholten 6-2 Simon Burt
Mark Webster (9) Bye
Matt Jackson 6-3 Wayne Mardle
Richie Burnett (24) 6-5 Matt Padgett
Michael Barnard 6-4 Robert Thornton
Ronnie Baxter (5) Bye
Michael Rosenauer 6-3 Peter Manley
Dennis Smith (28) 6-5 Paul Rowley
Steve Hine 6-5 Jason Crawley
John Part (12) Bye
Kevin Dowling 6-3 Reece Robinson
Andy Hamilton (21) Bye
John Henderson 6-0 Ashley Holgate
Jamie Caven (4) Bye
Scott Rand 6-2 Matt Clark
Tony Eccles (29) 6-2 Andy Relf
Matthew Edgar 6-3 John MaGowan
Justin Pipe (13) Bye
Mareno Michels 6-3 Gary Eastwood
Andy Smith (20) Bye
Devon Petersen 6-0 Andy Brown
Wes Newton (2) Bye
Ian White 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Peter Wright (31) 6-5 Prakash Jiwa
Ken MacNeil 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Mervyn King (15) Bye
Adrian Gray 6-0 Adrian Bolitho
Kevin Painter (18) Bye
Nigel Heydon 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Vincent van der Voort (7) Bye
Nick Fullwell 6-0 Dave Smith
Mick Todd 6-5 Mark Hylton (26)
Adam Smith-Neale 6-5 Nandor Bezzeg
Alan Tabern (10) Bye
Magnus Caris 6-4 Joe Cullen
Colin Osborne (23) Bye
Dave Ladley 6-4 Andy Hutchings
Mark Walsh (6) Bye
Chris Thompson 6-4 Barrie Bates
Terry Temple 6-2 Jelle Klaasen (27)
Gary Welding 6-2 Jon Archer
Paul Nicholson (11) Bye
Nicky Bache 6-3 Steve Evans
Wayne Jones (22) Bye
Mark Frost 6-2 Mark Jones
Simon Whitlock (3) Bye
Kevin McDine 6-0 Ryan Harrington
Steve Brown (30) 6-5 Brian Woods
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Steve Maish
James Wade (14) Bye
Peter Hudson 6-3 Jimmy Mann
Steve Farmer (19) Bye
Michael Smith 6-4 Darren Whittingham
Second Round
Antonio Alcinas 6-4 Gary Anderson
Darren Johnson 6-4 Mark Dudbridge
Co Stompe 6-4 Michael Mansell
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Colin Lloyd 6-5 Alex Roy
Roland Scholten 6-3 Steve Beaton
Mark Webster 6-0 Matt Jackson
Michael Barnard 6-4 Richie Burnett
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Michael Rosenauer
Steve Hine 6-3 Dennis Smith
John Part 6-2 Kevin Dowling
John Henderson 6-3 Andy Hamilton
Scott Rand 6-4 Jamie Caven
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Tony Eccles
Justin Pipe 6-5 Mareno Michels
Andy Smith 6-2 Devon Petersen
Wes Newton 6-2 Ian White
Peter Wright 6-1 Ken MacNeil
Mervyn King 6-2 Adrian Gray
Kevin Painter 6-2 Nigel Heydon
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Nick Fullwell
Mick Todd 6-2 Adam Smith-Neale
Magnus Caris 6-5 Alan Tabern
Colin Osborne 6-0 Dave Ladley
Mark Walsh 6-2 Chris Thompson
Gary Welding 6-5 Terry Temple
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Nicky Bache
Mark Frost 6-4 Wayne Jones
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Kevin McDine
Steve Brown 6-4 Dave Chisnall
James Wade 6-2 Peter Hudson
Steve Farmer 6-5 Michael Smith
Losers £200
Third Round
Darren Johnson 6-2 Antonio Alcinas
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Co Stompe
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Roland Scholten
Mark Webster 6-1 Michael Barnard
Ronnie Baxter 6-4 Steve Hine
John Henderson 6-3 John Part
Scitt Rand 6-5 Matthew Edgar
Justin Pipe 6-5 Andy Smith
Wes Newton 6-3 Peter Wright
Kevin Painter 6-3 Mervyn King
Vincent van der Voort 6-0 Mick Todd
Magnus Caris 6-2 Colin Osborne
Mark Walsh 6-1 Gary Welding
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Mark Frost
Steve Brown 6-4 Simon Whitlock
Steve Farmer 6-2 James Wade
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Darren Johnson
Mark Webster 6-3 Colin Lloyd
John Henderson 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
Scott Rand 6-3 Justin Pipe
Wes Newton 6-3 Kevin Painter
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Magnus Caris
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Mark Walsh
Steve Brown 6-3 Steve Farmer
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Mark Webster
Scott Rand 6-2 John Henderson
Wes Newton 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Steve Brown
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Terry Jenkins 6-4 Scott Rand
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Wes Newton
Losers £2,000
Final
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Terry Jenkins
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Final - Leg by leg
Terry Jenkins v Paul Nicholson
0-0 - Paul Nicholson wins the bull and will throw first.
1-0 - Jenkins breaks in 13 darts on double top, with Nicholson waiting on 28.
2-0 - Nicholson is first to a finish but fails to check out 122 and Jenkins takes out 117 on double top.
2-1 - Nicholson opens with a 180 and finishes tops for a 13-dart leg.
3-1 - Jenkins hits a 14-dart finish to lead by two legs once more, landing double top.
3-2 - Nicholson takes out 112 to hit back.
3-3 - Jenkins misses five darts for the leg before Nicholson gains a reprieve for an earlier miss at double ten - for a 128 finish - by hitting the bed at the second time of asking to level.
3-4 - Both players hit 180s, but Jenkins misses two darts to punish further errant doubling from Nicholson, who returns to land tops and lead for the first time.
3-5 - Nicholson scores 100, 140 and 180 before finishing double 12 for a 14-darter to break.
3-6 - Jenkins opens with a 180, but Nicholson keeps pace with two 140s and finishes 126 on the bull for a 12-darter to win his second Players Championship in Crawley this year.