Van Der Voort Edges Out Taylor

VINCENT VAN DER VOORT edged out Phil Taylor to win Sunday's Austrian Open Players Championship final.

The Dutchman won his second tournament of the year with the £6,000 triumph, which takes him to the brink of a place in the world's top 16 as his fine form continued at the Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt.

Having defeated Spain's Martin Marti in the opening round, van der Voort knocked out Dave Chisnall, Brian Woods and Paul Nicholson to reach the quarter-finals, where he edged out Andy Smith 6-5.

He then overcame Mark Hylton 6-4 in the semis, before taking the narrowest of victories in the decider against Taylor, despite opening up an early 3-0 lead against the 15-time World Champion.

Taylor registered a 151 finish in the fourth leg to get off the mark with a 12-darter, and also won the next two to level, but missed a dart to take the lead in the seventh as van der Voort moved 4-3 up.

While Taylor took the eighth, van der Voort landed a 180 in a 13-dart leg to edged ahead 5-4, although the world number one forced a decider by taking the tenth.

Taylor also kicked off the deciding leg with a 180, but van der Voort - with the advantage of throwing first - hit back in kind before posting double ten for the victory.

Taylor's run to the final saw him erase the memory of a rare exit in the last 16 a day earlier to John Part, and saw him pick up £3,000 as he prepared for Thursday's 888.com Premier League Darts Play-Offs in fine fashion.

He defeated Austrian Josef Flonner 6-1 in his opening match, and also saw off Matt Padgett, John Henderson, Saturday's runner-up Denis Ovens, Brendan Dolan and Justin Pipe on his way to the final.

Part followed up his win on Saturday by reaching the quarter-finals before losing to in-form Mark Hylton, who had been defeated in the last eight the previous day and eventually went down to van der Voort on Sunday, although his £3,000 prize money over the weekend moves the left-hander into the world's top 50.

Justin Pipe enjoyed a run to his second semi-final of the year, while Andy Hamilton joined Part, Dolan and Smith in the quarter-finals.

Austrian Open Players Championship
Preliminary Round

Patrick Bulen 6-1 Enkelbert Marakovits
Gregor Gorjup 6-0 Christian Freidel
Co Stompe Jnr 6-2 Mujo Mahmutagic
Reinhard Fletzberger 6-4 Jorg Kraus
Martin Marti 6-1 Daniel Baeuerlein
Karl Binder 6-0 Johann Schweiger
Robert Marijanovic 6-2 Herbert Aringer
Robert Wagner 6-0 Kristain Kaufmann
Christian Kallinger 6-0 Ivan Petric
Stefan Schaffer 6-2 Gerhard Fichtinger
Kevin Munch 6-1 Josef Kraus
Andreas Riegler 6-0 Johann Sarrer
Christopher Ollinger 6-2 Rene Hellmich
Andreas Kutrowatz 6-2 Erich Mossinger
Rene Rapp 6-4 Hans-Peter Benseler
James Rodriguez 6-0 Michael Jacques
Marco Balzer 6-4 Norbert Stuckheil
Sebastian Pecjak 6-5 Zsolt Meszanos
Arno Merk 6-1 Guiseppe Quintiero
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Remco van Eijden
Josef Flonner 6-3 Reinhard Ertl
Michal Kocik 6-2 Erich Stadler
Josef Untermarzoner 6-3 Pierre Fink
Martin Kurecka 6-1 Markus Schoberwalter
Michael Rasztovitz 6-2 Romano Ruggeri
Christian Kruger 6-5 Wilfried Hoberg 
Martino Tagliapietra 6-5 Andreas Weinzierl
Christian Maier 6-2 Robert Scherzer 
Jonas Adler 6-5 Stefanie Luck
Roland Freistatter 6-0 Karsten Kornath
Zdravko Antunovic 6-2 Stefan Taferner
Tonci Restovic 6-2 Wilhelm Schwingenschlogel

First Round
Wes Newton (1) 6-0 Anton Pein
Patrick Bulen 6-0 Andy Hutchings 
Robert Thornton (32) 6-4 Gregor Gorjup
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Steve Hine
Andy Smith (16) 6-2 Co Stompe Jnr
Steve Evans 6-4 Dietmar Burger 
Steve Beaton (17) 6-0 Reinhard Fletzberger
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Arron Monk
Vincent van der Voort (8) 6-4 Martin Marti
Dave Chisnall  6-0 Jann Hoffmann 
Tony Eccles (25) 6-1 Karl Binder
Brian Woods 6-2 Kevin Dowling 
Paul Nicholson (9) 6-2 Robert Marijanovic
Steve Maish 6-4 Reece Robinson 
Dennis Smith (24) 6-4 Robert Wagner
Michael Smith 6-3 Chris Thompson 
Ronnie Baxter (5) 6-1 Maurizio Monterubbianesi
William O'Connor 6-3 Christian Kallinger
Mark Dudbridge (28) 6-1 Stefan Schaffer
Marko Kantele 6-2 Jon Archer 
John Part (12) 6-2 Kevin Munch
Mick Todd 6-3 Dave Smith
Terry Jenkins (21) 6-0 Andreas Riegler
Jyhan Artut 6-3 Barrie Bates
Mark Walsh (4) 6-1 Ignacio Basullas
John Michael 6-1 Christopher Ollinger
Mark Hylton (29) 6-1 Andreas Kutrowatz
Michael Barnard 6-4 Magnus Caris 
Co Stompe (13) 6-3 Rene Rapp
Ian White 6-0 Nick Fullwell
Colin Osborne (20) 6-2 James Rodriguez
Roland Scholten 6-4 Boris Krcmar 
Simon Whitlock (2) 6-2 Hannes Schnier
Bernd Roith 6-0 Marco Balzer
Brendan Dolan (31) 6-5 Sebastian Pecjak
Antonio Alcinas 6-0 Steve Grubb 
Kevin Painter (15) 6-1 Arno Merk
Veijo Viinikka 6-2 Mareno Michels
Richie Burnett (18) 6-1 Kim Huybrechts
Michael Mansell 6-2 Adam Smith-Neale
Phil Taylor (7) 6-1 Josef Flonner
Matt Padgett 6-4 Andree Welge
Steve Brown (26) 6-3 Michal Kocik
John Henderson 6-3 Devon Petersen
Denis Ovens (10) 6-3 Josef Untermarzoner
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Carlos Rodriguez
Jelle Klaasen (23) 6-4 Martin Kurecka
Kevin McDine 6-2 Ken MacNeil
Colin Lloyd (6) 6-1 Raul Invernon
Prakash Jiwa 6-5 Michael Rasztovitz
Christian Krüger 6-2 Nigel Heydon (27)
Per Laursen 6-5 Scott Rand
Alan Tabern (11) 6-0 Martino Tagliapietra
Joe Cullen 6-5 Darren Johnson
Andy Hamilton (22) 6-1 Christian Mayer
Kirk Shepherd 6-1 Nandor Bezzeg 
Jamie Caven (3) 6-1 Arron Hardy
Jonas Adler 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Peter Wright (30) 6-1 Roland Freistatter
Maik Langendorf 6-5 Gary Welding
Justin Pipe (14) 6-3 Zdravko Antunovic
Chris Aubrey 6-1 Shane O'Connor 
Wayne Jones (19) 6-0 Tonci Restovic
Michael Rosenauer 6-3 Dylan Duo

Second Round
Wes Newton 6-0 Patrick Bulen
Robert Thornton 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Andy Smith 6-0 Steve Evans
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Steve Beaton
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Dave Chisnall
Brian Woods 6-3 Tony Eccles
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Steve Maish
Michael Smith 6-1 Dennis Smith
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 William O'Connor
Marko Kantele 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
John Part 6-2 Mick Todd
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Jyhan Artut
Mark Walsh 6-3 John Michael
Mark Hylton 6-1 Michael Barnard
Ian White 6-0 Co Stompe
Roland Scholten 6-5 Colin Osborne
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Bernd Roith
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Antonio Alcinas
Kevin Painter 6-4 Veijo Viinikka
Michael Mansell 6-5 Richie Burnett
Phil Taylor 6-3 Matt Padgett
John Henderson 6-1 Steve Brown
Denis Ovens 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Kevin McDine 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Per Laursen 6-0 Christian Krüger
Alan Tabern 6-3 Joe Cullen
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Kirk Shepherd
Jamie Caven 6-5 Jonas Adler
Peter Wright 6-5 Maik Langendorf
Justin Pipe 6-5 Chris Aubrey
Wayne Jones 6-5 Michael Rosenauer
Losers £200

Third Round
Robert Thornton 6-4 Wes Newton
Andy Smith 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Brian Woods
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Michael Smith
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Marko Kantele
John Part 6-4 Terry Jenkins
Mark Hylton 6-1 Mark Walsh
Ian White 6-2 Roland Scholten
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Kevin Painter 6-4 Michael Mansell
Phil Taylor 6-2 John Henderson
Denis Ovens 6-4 Kevin McDine
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Per Laursen
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Alan Tabern
Jamie Caven 6-4 Peter Wright
Justin Pipe 6-1 Wayne Jones
Losers £400

Fourth Round
Andy Smith 6-3 Robert Thornton
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Paul Nicholson
John Part 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
Mark Hylton 6-1 Ian White
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Kevin Painter
Phil Taylor 6-4 Denis Ovens
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Colin Lloyd 
Justin Pipe 6-3 Jamie Caven
Losers £600

Quarter-Finals
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Andy Smith
Mark Hylton 6-1 John Part
Phil Taylor 6-1 Brendan Dolan
Justin Pipe 6-4 Andy Hamilton
Losers £1,000

Semi-Finals
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Mark Hylton
Phil Taylor 6-2 Justin Pipe
Losers £2,000

Final
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Phil Taylor
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000