Priestley Takes Kitchener Open Victory

DENNIS PRIESTLEY claimed his second PDC Pro Tour victory of the year with a 3-1 win over Lionel Sams in the Kitchener Open Players Championship.

The veteran Yorkshireman won a Players Championship in Bristol, and his tremendous recent form continued in Canada as he claimed the £5,000 first prize.

He saw off Sams 3-1 in the final of the event, having overcome Robert Thornton in straight sets in the semis.

Travelling PDC stars Andy Jenkins and Dave Honey were also defeated, along with Steve Davies and Bruce Davey, earlier in the event as Priestley swept to victory.

Sams's run saw him reach the final of a PDC Pro Tour event for the first time and was his best run since reaching the semi-finals at the 2006 Sheppey Classic.

He took full advantage of the defeat of World Champion John Part, the number one seed, to Jayson Barlow in round one to reach the decider.

Sams overcame north Americans Kory Nicholls, Dave Switzer, Martin Tremblay, John Verwey before seeing off Adrian Gray in straight sets in the quarter-finals, before a semi-final win over Denis Ovens.

Thornton followed up his win in last week's Australian Open Players Championship by reaching the semi-finals in Canada.

The Scot included Wes Newton and Co Stompe among his victims before losing to Priestley.

Ovens, who reached the last 16 in Australia, was the other semi-final loser, going down 3-2 to Sams after earlier seeing off Kevin McDine and Ronnie Baxter.

America's Bill Davis was another seed to fall at the first hurdle, losing to Quebec's Martin Tremblay, while number two seed Terry Jenkins was a second round loser to Steve Cusick.

Manchester's Cusick enjoyed his best-ever run in a PDC Pro Tour event, also defeating top Canadian Gerry Convery on his way to the quarter-finals, where he went down to Thornton.

Kitchener Open Players Championship
Preliminary Round

Jayson Barlow 3-1 Nick McCoy
John Verwey 3-0 Paul Cockings
Lionel Sams 3-0 Kory Nicholls
Dave Switzer 3-0 Brian Ross
Martin Tremblay 3-0 Peter Hallett
Sylvain Bourque 3-0 Graham Waite
Robert Melanson 3-0 Joanne Johnston
Adrian Gray 3-1 Dave Richardson
Stephane Rousseau 3-0 Tony Chippett
Mike Lapierre 3-0 Victor De Wilde
Wilf Lockyer 3-1 Yancy Patey
Marco Gonthier 3-0 Norm Wylie
Kevin McDine 3-0 Neil Stewart
Brenda Roush 3-1 Stuart Brown
Mark Neilsen 3-0 Dan English
Jeff Noble 3-0 Yvonne Martin-Cowig
Al Moskyn 3-2 Mike Demers
Gary Mawson 3-0 Aaron Talbot
Daniel Thibaudeau 3-0 Alex Stamper
Chris Greenwood 3-0 Dave Lapierre
Neil Quenon 3-0 Mark Almeroth
Gordon Mills 3-0 Sylvain Guerin
Gerry Convery 3-2 Gary Robinson
Andrew Wilson 3-0 Eric Ashton
Andre Carman Bye (Kilman Snow)
Doug Scanlon 3-2 Bill Nicoll
Rick Almost 3-2 Glenn Fraser
Wes Newton 3-0 Mark Cassel
Joe Slivan 3-0 William Penn
Bernie Miller 3-2 Ross Snook
Danny de Rosa 3-1 Chris Arsenault
Dave Paterak 3-1 Junior Mootrey
Matt Clark 3-0 Doorman Warford
Mike Mainville 3-2 Mark Metero
David Batterton 3-1 Chris Simmons
Bruce Davey 3-2 Bill Gooder
Steve Davies 3-0 Goby Logan
Steve Maish 3-1 Terry Hayhurst
James Graton 3-2 John Henderson
Brent Closs 3-2 Wayne Fick (Fick forfeited at 2-2)

First Round
Jayson Barlow 3-1 John Part
John Verwey 3-1 Lee White
Lionel Sams 3-0 Dave Switzer
Martin Tremblay 3-0 Bill Davis
Mark Walsh 3-0 Sylvain Bourque
Shawn Brenneman 3-1 Robert Melanson
Adrian Gray 3-0 Stephane Rousseau
Larry Butler 3-0 Mike Lapierre
Denis Ovens 3-0 Wilf Lockyer
Marco Gonthier 3-1 Paul Bolduc
Kevin McDine 3-0 Brenda Roush
Mark Neilsen 3-1 David Fatum
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Jeff Noble
Jerry Hull 3-0 Al Moskyn
Gary Mawson 3-0 Daniel Thibaudeau
Darin Young 3-0 Chris Greenwood
Terry Jenkins 3-1 Neil Quenon
Steve Cusick 3-1 Gordon Mills
Gerry Convery 3-0 Andrew Wilson
John Kuczynski 3-2 Andre Carman
Barrie Bates 3-2 Doug Scanlon
Co Stompe 3-0 Rick Almost
Wes Newton 3-1 Joe Slivan
Robert Thornton 3-1 Bernie Miller
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Danny de Rosa
Isen Veljic 3-1 Dave Paterak
Matt Clark 3-0 Mike Mainville
Dan Olson 3-2 David Batterton
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Bruce Davey
Steve Davies 3-2 Pete Riehl
Steve Maish 3-1 James Graton
Dave Honey 3-0 Brent Closs
Losers £75

Second Round
John Verwey 3-1 Jayson Barlow
Lionel Sams 3-1 Martin Tremblay
Shawn Brenneman 3-2 Mark Walsh
Adrian Gray 3-0 Larry Butler
Denis Ovens 3-2 Marco Gonthier
Kevin McDine 3-0 Mark Neilsen
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Jerry Hull
Darin Young 3-1 Gary Mawson
Steve Cusick 3-2 Terry Jenkins
Gerry Convery 3-2 John Kuczynski
Co Stompe 3-1 Barrie Bates
Robert Thornton 3-1 Wes Newton
Andy Jenkins 3-1 Isen Velic
Matt Clark 3-1 Dan Olson
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Steve Davies
Dave Honey 3-0 Steve Maish
Losers £150

Third Round
Lionel Sams 3-1 John Verwey
Adrian Gray 3-2 Shawn Brenneman
Denis Ovens 3-1 Kevin McDine
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Darin Young
Steve Cusick 3-2 Gerry Convery
Robert Thornton 3-0 Co Stompe
Andy Jenkins 3-1 Matt Clark
Dennis Priestley 3-2 Dave Honey
Losers £300

Quarter-Finals
Lionel Sams 3-0 Adrian Gray
Denis Ovens 3-1 Ronnie Baxter
Robert Thornton 3-1 Steve Cusick
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Andy Jenkins
Losers £600

Semi-Finals
Lionel Sams 3-2 Denis Ovens
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Robert Thornton
Losers £1,250

Final
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Lionel Sams
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500


Round-by Round Updates
Preliminary & First Rounds

Lionel Sams and former World Championship qualifier John Verwey take 3-0 wins in their Preliminary Round games.
Brenda Roush upsets Stuart Brown 3-1 to move into round one.
John Part loses to local Ontario player Jayson Barlow 3-1 in the last 64.
Bill Davis is another seed to fall at the first hurdle, losing to Quebec's Martin Tremblay.
Mark Walsh, Denis Ovens and Dennis Priestley progress with straight sets wins, while Wales' Barrie Bates is narrow winner against Doug Scanlon.
Robert Thornton, the winner of the Australian Open Players Championship, opens his challenge for a second successive title with a 3-1 win over Bernie Miller.
John Kuczynski is taken to five sets against Andre Carman before moving into the last 32.
Steve Maish moves into last 64 with 3-1 win over Terry Hayhurst.
Co Stompe defeats qualifier Rick Almost in straight sets.
Ronnie Baxter is 3-0 winner over Jeff Noble and will take on Herry Hull, who overcame Al Moskyn.
Gary Mawson and Darin Young to meet in last 32 after their wins over Daniel Thibaudeau and Chris Greenwood.
Second Round
World number five Terry Jenkins is knocked out in a deciding set by Manchester's Steve Cusick.
Dutchman Stompe sees off Barrie Bates 3-1 to reach last 16.
Convery defeats American John Kuczynski to reach round three.
Las Vegas Desert Classic qualifier Shawn Brenneman edges out Mark Walsh 3-2.
Dennis Priestley reaches last 16 with straight sets win over Steve Davies.
Ronnie Baxter, Adrian Gray, Lionel Sams and John Verwey also reach round three.
Andy Jenkins defeats Isen Veljic 3-1, with Canada's Dan Olson losing by the same scoreline to Matt Clark.
Adrian Gray overcomes another Desert Classic qualifier, the 1994 World Matchplay winner Larry Butler, in straight sets to set up last 16 meeting with Brenneman.
Third Round
Cusick's best-ever run in a PDC Pro Tour event continues with a 3-2 win over Gerry Convery.
He now meets Thornton in the quarter-finals, after the Scot saw off Co Stompe in straight sets.
Lionel Sams reaches the last eight with a 3-1 win over John Verwey, while Gray sees off Brenneman 3-2 in a tight contest.
Denis Ovens defeats Kevin McDine 3-1, and meets Ronnie Baxter in the last eight after the Blackpool man's win over Darin Young by the same scoreline.
Andy Jenkins reaches his first quarter-final since Gibraltar in January with 3-1 win over Matt Clark.
Dennis Priestley sneaks past Dave Honey 3-2 to reach quarter-finals, where he plays Jenkins.
Quarter-Finals
Lionel Sams' straight sets win over Adrian Gray sees him enjoy his best run since last October to reach semi-finals.
He meets Denis Ovens in the last four, after the Stevenage thrower's 3-1 win over Ronnie Baxter.
Robert Thornton ends Cusick's run with a 3-1 victory to put himself into the semis and remain on course for back-to-back PDC Pro Tour wins.
Priestley wins 3-1 against Jenkins to reach semis, continuing his fine recent run of form.
Semi-Finals
Dennis Priestley sweeps into final with a straight sets victory over Robert Thornton.
Lionel Sams reaches his first PDC Pro Tour final with a five-set win over Denis Ovens.