COLIN OSBORNE defeated James Richardson 6-2 to win his first ranking title for almost two years in Sunday's German Darts Classic Players Championship.
Osborne last tasted victory when he won the Championship League Darts and a Players Championship in Irvine inside a month in late 2009, but ended that run by taking the £6,000 first prize at Gladbeck's Van Der Valk Hotel.
Having defeated Meszaros Zsolt, Peter Martin and Kevin Munch in the early rounds, Osborne then saw off York's Terry Temple 6-2 to win through to the quarter-finals.
He then defeated teenager Chris Aubrey 6-2 in the last eight and came from 2-0 down to win six straight legs in repeating the scoreline against Mark Walsh in the semi-finals.
Richardson, in his first professional final, led after breaking with a 14-darter in the opening leg, but Osborne took out 160 to level and punished misses from his opponent to win the next and lead 2-1.
Richardson levelled on double four, but Osborne took out 80 in two darts to lead 3-2 and won the next two following missed doubles from the Rushden thrower to move 5-2 up.
Richardson hit a 180 in the eighth leg, but missed two darts at double 16 to keep the game alive and Osborne took out double 18 for a 14-darter to secure victory, which moves him back into the world's top 20.
"I'm ecstatic to have won this," said Osborne. "I've been doing a lot of hard work over the last six to eight months and I've been playing some good darts but maybe not had that little bit of luck.
"On Saturday, I missed a couple of darts at a double against Mervyn King and ended up losing, but although I rode my luck at times during this event nobody ever had a dart to beat me.
"If James had hit his doubles in the final it would have been a lot closer but I put a lot of pressure on him and I suppose at the end a little bit of experience did show.
"It's nice to get that winning feeling back and I'm working hard to get back into the top 16, but I still believe in my ability and believe I am a top ten player.
"Hopefully I can kick on from this and have a good rest of the year - roll on Benidorm next week!"
Northamptonshire-based Richardson picked up £3,000 from winning through to his first final since turning professional when he won a Tour Card in January, and improved his chances of qualifying for the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship with his success, which also moves him up to 88th in the PDC Order of Merit.
He picked up wins over Adam Smith-Neale, Co Stompe, Simon Whitlock, Steve Brown, Steve Farmer and Paul Nicholson in a superb run of form on the day.
Nicholson joined Walsh in exiting at the semi-final stage, while Swindon's teenage star Chris Aubrey won through to his first ProTour quarter-final, defeating former World Champion Steve Beaton as well as his travelling partner from Wiltshire, Dennis Smith.
Michael van Gerwen, Jamie Caven and Steve Farmer also won through to the quarter-finals, while Terry Temple and Brian Woods reached the last 16.
Wes Newton became the 17th player to hit a nine-dart finish in 2011 when he landed a perfect leg during his second round game with William O'Connor, and although he went down 6-4 he picked up a £1,200 bonus for the achievement.
The PDC ProTour continues its European journey next weekend with a double-header of Players Championships in Benidorm.
German Darts Classic Players Championship
(PC25, Sunday October 23, Gladbeck)
Preliminary Round
Simon Priest 6-3 Ufuk Uzuner
Marvin Esser 6-3 Frank Kounze
Detlef Barchanowitz 6-4 Frank Lommel
First Round
Wes Newton (1) 6-0 Hendrik Dame
William O'Connor 6-4 Dylan Duo
Dennis Smith (32) 6-3 Maik Langendorf
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Steve Beaton (16) 6-4 Olaf Tupuschis
John Michael 6-0 Darren Johnson
Mark Hylton (17) 6-1 Martino Tagliapietra
Per Laursen 6-3 Simon Priest
Kevin Munch 6-5 Mark Webster (8)
Magnus Caris 6-4 Andree Welge
Colin Osborne (25) 6-1 Meszaros Zsolt
Peter Martin 6-4 Karsten Koch
Mervyn King (9) 6-1 Eduardo Sales Lopes
Terry Temple 6-4 Steve Maish
John Henderson (24) 6-0 Steven Mehl
Marko Kantele 6-1 Heiko Merkes
Ronnie Baxter (5) 6-1 Steffen Siepmann
Steve Hine 6-4 Mark Dudbridge
Michael van Gerwen (28) 6-0 Reinhard Timmermann
Dave Smith 6-2 Mick Todd
Andy Smith (12) Bye (Jurgen Friedel timed out)
Andy Jenkins 6-3 Devon Petersen
Alan Tabern (21) 6-0 Lucio Rave
Darren Whittingham 6-2 Gino Vos
Mark Walsh (4) 6-0 Michael Sievert
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Barrie Bates
Nigel Heydon (29) 6-5 Christian Kallinger
Dyson Parody 6-2 Ken MacNeil
Peter Wright (13) 6-0 Karsten Kornath
Joe Cullen 6-0 Jon Archer
James Wade (20) 6-3 Michael Hurtz
Jerry Hendriks 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
Paul Nicholson (2) 6-1 Wilhelm Schwingenschlogel
Arron Monk 6-2 Nick Birch
Roland Scholten (31) 6-0 Milos Bedy
Ian White 6-3 Jyhan Artut
Dave Chisnall (15) 6-3 Kurt van de Rijk
Kevin McDine 6-2 Matt Padgett
Terry Jenkins (18) 6-4 Johnny Okken
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Marvin Esser
Jamie Caven (7) 6-0 Peter Pesta
Mareno Michels 6-3 Michael Rosenauer
Andy Hamilton (26) 6-0 Michael Rasztovits
Michael Smith 6-5 Steve Evans
Kevin Painter (10) 6-1 Daniel Bauerlein
Mark Frost 6-3 Tony Eccles
Wayne Jones (23) 6-0 Klaus Roger Kraske
Matthew Edgar 6-1 Joost Derksen
Simon Whitlock (6) 6-1 Mattheus Ziolkowski
Bernd Roith 6-2 Jann Hoffmann
Co Stompe (27) 6-5 Colin Rice
James Richardson 6-4 Adam Smith-Neale
Colin Lloyd (11) 6-0 Frank Liebeton
Reece Robinson 6-5 Adrian Gray
Steve Brown (22) 6-1 Patrick Langbeckeer
Rocco Maes 6-2 Maximilian Thamm
Justin Pipe (3) 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Kirk Shepherd 6-5 Veijo Viinikka
Steve Farmer (30) 6-0 Stefanie Luck
Ian Jopling 6-2 Nandor Bezzeg
Denis Ovens (14) 6-1 Jorg Blomenkamp
Shaun Griffiths 6-3 Antonio Alcinas
Scott Rand (19) 6-4 Mick Hasse
Brian Woods 6-1 Detlef Barchanowitz
Second Round
William O'Connor 6-4 Wes Newton - Wes Newton hits nine-dart finish
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Dennis Smith
Steve Beaton 6-3 John Michael
Mark Hylton 6-5 Per Laursen
Kevin Munch 6-5 Magnus Caris
Colin Osborne 6-2 Peter Martin
Terry Temple 6-2 Mervyn King
Marko Kantele 6-5 John Henderson
Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Steve Hine
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Dave Smith
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Andy Smith
Alan Tabern 6-2 Darren Whittingham
Mark Walsh 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Dyson Parody 6-4 Nigel Heydon
Peter Wright 6-3 Joe Cullen
James Wade 6-5 Jerry Hendriks
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Arron Monk
Roland Scholten 6-4 Ian White
Kevin McDine 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Jamie Caven 6-1 Mareno Michels
Michael Smith 6-1 Andy Hamilton
Kevin Painter 6-0 Mark Frost
Wayne Jones 6-5 Matthew Edgar
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Bernd Roith
James Richardson 6-4 Co Stompe
Reece Robinson 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Steve Brown 6-5 Rocco Maes
Kirk Shepherd 6-5 Justin Pipe
Steve Farmer 6-2 Ian Jopling
Denis Ovens 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Brian Woods 6-3 Scott Rand
Losers £200
Third Round
Chris Aubrey 6-2 William O'Connor
Steve Beaton 6-1 Mark Hylton
Colin Osborne 6-2 Kevin Munch
Terry Temple 6-3 Marko Kantele
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Alan Tabern 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Mark Walsh 6-5 Dyson Parody
Peter Wright 6-4 James Wade
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Roland Scholten
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Kevin McDine
Jame Caven 6-3 Michael Smith
Wayne Jones 6-5 Kevin Painter
James Richardson 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Steve Brown 6-1 Reece Robinson
Steve Farmer 6-1 Kirk Shepherd
Brian Woods 6-4 Denis Ovens
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Chris Aubrey 6-3 Steve Beaton
Colin Osborne 6-2 Terry Temple
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Alan Tabern
Mark Walsh 6-5 Peter Wright
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Terry Jenkins
Jamie Caven 6-4 Wayne Jones
James Richardson 6-2 Steve Brown
Steve Farmer 6-3 Brian Woods
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Colin Osborne 6-2 Chris Aubrey
Mark Walsh 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Jamie Caven
James Richardson 6-4 Steve Farmer
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Colin Osborne 6-2 Mark Walsh
James Richardson 6-3 Paul Nicholson
Losers £2,000
Final
Colin Osborne 6-2 James Richardson
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Semi-Finals
Colin Osborne hit back from 2-0 down to defeat Mark Walsh in the first semi-final. Walsh took out 25 for the first leg and an 11-darter to lead 2-0, but Osborne broke back before levelling the game, and took the fifth to edge in front at 3-2. He also won the sixth despite a 180 from Walsh before finishing 92 and 116 for victory.
James Richardson won through to his first-ever professional final, defeating Paul Nicholson 6-3. After Nicholson edged the first leg, Richardson hit double top to win four successive legs as he took command. Nicholson hit a 180 and a 92 finish to win the sixth, and after Richardson took the next on double 16 the world number nine finished 88 to pull back to 5-3. However, Richardson hit a 180 in the ninth to be first to a finish, and took out double four for the win.
Final - Leg-by-leg
Colin Osborne 6-2 James Richardson
0-0 - Colin Osborne wins the bull and will throw first.
0-1 - James Richardson opens with a 14-darter to break throw on double top.
1-1 - Osborne levels courtesy of a superb 160 finish.
2-1 - Richardson hits a 180 but misses double top for a 106 finish to break again, with his dart landing in double one, before Osborne returns to hit double two to atone for four previous missed doubles.
2-2 - Osborne this time misses a chance to break with one dart at tops, and Richardson returns to land double four to level.
3-2 - Osborne edges back in front by finishing 80 in two darts.
4-2 - Richardson misses two darts at tops and Osborne manages to break, hitting double 15 with his third dart.
5-2 - Osborne hits a 171 to leave 66, but misses double 16 to allow Richardson in - only for the Rushden ace to miss two darts at the same bed before Osborne lands double eight.
6-2 - Richardson opens with a 180 but misses two chances to keep the match alive, and Osborne finishes double 18 for a 14-dart winning leg.