DAVE CHISNALL took a dramatic 6-5 victory over Phil Taylor to win Sunday's Players Championship in Reading, despite the world number one hitting a nine-dart finish for a second successive day.
Taylor followed up his perfect leg in Saturday's Players Championship with victory in the event, and came close to completing a flawless weekend 24 hours later.
He kicked off the day with a nine-darter in coming from behind against Peter Hudson in round one - hitting 180, 180 and a 141 finish to earn another £400 bonus - and also took victories over Jyhan Artut, Steve Evans, Brendan Dolan, James Wade and Kim Huybrechts to reach the final against Chisnall.
The St Helens ace evoked memories of his World Championship victory over Taylor in December by coming from 2-1 down early on to win three straight legs and lead 4-2 as the Stoke legend faltered on his doubles.
Taylor hit back with legs of 13, 12 and 14 darts to move 5-4 up, with Chisnall finishing a pressure 92 to send the game into a deciding leg.
Taylor was first to a finish, but opted against throwing for the bull on a 161 combination, and then missed three darts at double 16 as Chisnall stepped in to land double 18 for the triumph.
The win was Chisnall's second on the PDC ProTour in the past six months, and puts him a step closer to qualification through the ProTour Order of Merit for the likes of the World Matchplay, European Championship and World Grand Prix.
"It feels good beating Phil after what happened at the World Championship," said Chisnall. "He could have won this game but he missed a couple of doubles there and I took my chances.
"This time last year I would have lost a few of the games that I won today but I'm getting stronger and getting better.
"I've done well so far this year and felt good coming into this event. My goal again this year is to get into all the TV events and this win pushes me on a little bit further."
Chisnall opened the day with wins over Canada's Jeff Smith, Holland's Co Stompe and experienced star Dennis Smith before dropping only one leg in victories against McCoy's Premier League Darts stars Simon Whitlock and Andy Hamilton.
He then defeated Steve Beaton 6-5 in the semis, hitting a 14-darter in the deciding leg to win through to the final.
Huybrechts' run to the semis means that the Belgian has reached at least the quarter-finals in four of the six ProTour events held this year since he also made the last eight in the World Championship.
Beaton enjoyed his best run since November as he reached the semis, while Derby's Jamie Caven produced his best form since October as he won through to the quarter-finals before missing on dart to defeat the former World Champion in the deciding leg.
World number three James Wade, five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld and World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton also reached the quarter-finals, and newcomer Liam Kelly made the last 16 for the first time as a professional.
Saturday's runner-up Wes Newton was defeated by Beaton in the last 16, while World Champion Adrian Lewis went out to Mervyn King in the first round.
Players Championship 4
Sunday March 11, Rivermead Centre, Reading
First Round
Gary Anderson (1) Bye
James Hubbard 6-3 Kirk Shepherd
Richie Burnett (32) 6-5 Matt Clark
Richie Howson 6-5 Adrian Gray
Kevin Painter (16) 6-5 Dave Smith
Andy Hamilton 6-1 Gaz Cousins
Michael van Gerwen (17) 6-4 Michael Barnard
Bernd Roith 6-5 John Henderson
Dave Chisnall (8) 6-1 Jeff Smith
Co Stompe 6-5 Mark Jones
Dennis Smith 6-2 Colin Lloyd (25)
Andy Jenkins 6-3 Paul Barham
Simon Whitlock (9) 6-0 Nigel Birch
Jelle Klaasen 6-1 Jamie Lewis
Mark Hylton (24) 6-5 Stuart Kellett
Tony Littleton 6-5 Keegan Brown
Paul Nicholson (5) 6-2 Kevin McDine
Ross Smith 6-2 Steve Hine
Denis Ovens (28) 6-4 Mick Todd
John Bowles 6-4 Magnus Caris
Mervyn King (12) 6-2 Adrian Lewis
Brian Woods 6-4 Ian White
Jamie Caven (21) 6-3 Mark Dudbridge
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Steve Grubb
Wes Newton (4) 6-5 Shaun Griffiths
Steve West 6-2 Kevin Dowling
James Richardson 6-5 Terry Jenkins (29)
Joe Murnan 6-4 Antonio Alcinas
Colin Osborne (13) 6-1 Dyson Parody
William O'Connor 6-3 Andy Relf
Steve Beaton (20) 6-2 Mareno Michels
Chris Thompson 6-0 Les Wallace
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Justin Pipe (2)
Steve Farmer 6-3 Mike Veitch
Michael Smith (31) 6-4 Arron Monk
Reece Robinson 6-3 Daniel Starkey
Robert Thornton 6-1 Mark Walsh (15)
Connie Finnan 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
Mark Webster (18) 6-4 Joe Cullen
Gino Vos 6-3 Gareth Pass
Ted Hankey 6-4 Vincent van der Voort (7)
Nigel Heydon 6-5 Matthew Edgar
Scott Rand (26) 6-1 Josh Jones
Liam Kelly 6-5 Alex Roy
Ronnie Baxter (10) 6-2 Carlos Rodriguez
Jim Walker 6-4 Andrew Cornwall
Raymond van Barneveld (23) 6-5 Dean Winstanley
Paul Rowley 6-1 Barrie Bates
John Part (6) 6-1 Ian Moss
Keith Stephen 6-2 Gary Butcher
Steve Brown (27) 6-5 Nick Fullwell
Darren Johnson 6-3 Terry Temple
James Wade (11) 6-4 Jason Crawley
Michael Mansell 6-2 Roland Scholten
Tony West 6-2 Wayne Jones (22)
Johnny Haines 6-2 Andy Brown
Phil Taylor (3) 6-4 Peter Hudson - Phil Taylor hits nine-dart finish
Jyhan Artut 6-5 Devon Petersen
Ian Jopling 6-5 Alan Tabern (30)
Steve Evans 6-5 Darren Whittingham
Peter Wright (14) 6-2 Adam Smith-Neale
Paddy Meaney 6-1 John Scott
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Andy Smith (19)
Stephen Hardy 6-3 Matt Jackson
Second Round
Gary Anderson 6-2 James Hubbard
Richie Howson 6-4 Richie Burnett
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Kevin Painter
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Bernd Roith
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Co Stompe
Dennis Smith 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Mark Hylton 6-2 Tony Littleton
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Ross Smith
John Bowles 6-3 Denis Ovens
Brian Woods 6-3 Mervyn King
Jamie Caven 6-3 Andrew Gilding
Wes Newton 6-3 Steve West
James Richardson 6-3 Joe Murnan
Colin Osborne 6-4 William O'Connor
Steve Beaton 6-1 Chris Thompson
Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Steve Farmer
Michael Smith 6-2 Reece Robinson
Connie Finnan 6-5 Robert Thornton
Mark Webster 6-2 Gino Vos
Ted Hankey 6-1 Nigel Heydon
Liam Kelly 6-5 Scott Rand
Ronnie Baxter 6-0 Jim Walker
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Paul Rowley
John Part 6-4 Keith Stephen
Steve Brown 6-3 Darren Johnson
James Wade 6-5 Michael Mansell
Tony West 6-3 Johnny Haines
Phil Taylor 6-3 Jyhan Artut
Steve Evans 6-3 Ian Jopling
Peter Wright 6-1 Paddy Meaney
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Stephen Hardy
Losers £200
Third Round
Gary Anderson 6-0 Richie Howson
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Dennis Smith
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Mark Hylton
Paul Nicholson 6-4 John Bowles
Jamie Caven 6-3 Brian Woods
Wes Newton 6-3 James Richardson
Steve Beaton 6-4 Colin Osborne
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Michael Smith
Mark Webster 6-4 Connie Finnan
Liam Kelly 6-0 Ted Hankey
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Ronnie Baxter
John Part 6-5 Steve Brown
James Wade 6-4 Tony West
Phil Taylor 6-2 Steve Evans
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Peter Wright
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Gary Anderson
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Simon Whitlock
Jamie Caven 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Steve Beaton 6-3 Wes Newton
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Mark Webster
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Liam Kelly
James Wade 6-5 John Part
Phil Taylor 6-0 Brendan Dolan
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Andy Hamilton
Steve Beaton 6-5 Jamie Caven
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor 6-4 James Wade
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Steve Beaton
Phil Taylor 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Losers £2,000
Final
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Phil Taylor
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Final - Leg-By-Leg
Dave Chisnall v Phil Taylor
0-0 - Phil Taylor wins the bull and will throw first.
1-0 - Chisnall opens with three 140s and finishes 81 on double 12 for a 12-darter to break throw.
1-1 - Taylor misses tops to break back but returns following a miss at the same bed from Chisnall to level.
1-2 - Taylor opens with two 140s, and finishes double eight at the fourth time of asking to take the lead.
2-2 - The pair open with three 100s each, with Chisnall posting a 140 and Taylor adding a 130 before both miss doubles, allowing the St Helens ace back in on double two to square the match.
3-2 - Taylor kicks off with a 174 but misses double 16 for a 109 finish and Chisnall lands double nine to break with a 14-darter.
4-2 - Taylor scores 136, 180 and 137 but misses two darts at double 16 and Chisnall finishes 72 in two darts for another 14-dart finish.
4-3 - Both players leave a finish under after nine darts, but Taylor wins the leg with double 18 for a 13-darter.
4-4 - Taylor breaks with a brilliant 12-darter, which includes a 177 and is finished as he checks out 126 on double six.
4-5 - Taylor is first to a finish but misses the bull for a 167, only for Chisnall to miss the same bed for a 132 finish, allowing Taylor back to complete a 14-darter on double eight.
5-5 - Chisnall opens with a 180, but Taylor hits two 140s to leave 42 - only for Chisnall to hold his nerve with a superb 92 of bull, single six and double 18 to force a deciding leg.
6-5 - Taylor leaves 161 after nine darts, with Chisnall leaving 167. Taylor opts not to throw for the bull on the combination, leaving 32 but - after Chisnall misses the 167 and leaves 36 - the world number on misses three darts at double 16, allowing Chisnall in to hit double 16 with his third dart to claim victory.
Final Match Averages: Dave Chisnall 101.20, Phil Taylor 104.44