PHIL TAYLOR swept to a second successive Players Championship victory, whitewashing Mark Dudbridge in the final of Saturday's event in Wigan.
Taylor was victorious in a Players Championship two weeks ago in Derby, and claimed another £6,000 title at Wigan's Robin Park Tennis Centre.
The 15-time World Champion won his opening three games on the day 6-2, against Darren Latham, Gary Mawson and Peter Manley, before defeating Holland's Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in the last 16.
Following a 6-1 win over Wes Newton in the quarter-finals, he defeated Colin Lloyd 6-3 at the last four stage - winning four of the final five legs after the Essex man shared the opening stages - before powering past Dudbridge in the decider.
Dudbridge never recovered from missing three darts at double eight to win the second leg as Taylor followed up his double 16 finish to win the opening leg by hitting the same bed again.
Dudbridge hit two 180s in the next leg, but was denied a dart at a double as Taylor landed a second successive 14-darter on double eight.
That was followed by an 11-darter in leg four and a 164 checkout to establish a 5-0 lead.
Dudbridge matched a 180 from Taylor in the sixth leg, but four missed doubles allowed the world number one to seal victory on double six for an overall average of over 114 in the final.
Dudbridge's run to the final was his best display since January 2009, and included notable wins over Andy Hamilton, Mark Webster, emerging duo Stuart Bousfield and Michael Smith and the in-form Chris Thompson.
Thompson had earlier knocked out world number three James Wade in round one, with the left-hander amongst a host of big-name casualties in the early stages.
Wade's fellow Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts stars Adrian Lewis, Ronnie Baxter and Simon Whitlock also lost in the first round, alongside Gary Anderson, Steve Beaton, Alan Tabern, Jamie Caven, Co Stompe and John Part.
Mark Webster reached the quarter-finals for the second successive Players Championship, while Kirk Shepherd enjoyed his best display for six months by reaching the last eight.
Play resumes on Sunday with the third UK Open Qualifier of the year being held at the Robin Park Tennis Centre.
Players Championship 7
Preliminary Round
Darren Johnson 6-0 Harry Robinson
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Jimmy Mann
Kevin Dowling 6-2 Andy Pearson
Sam Allen 6-3 Gary Welding
Mark Frost 6-0 Par Riihonen
Darren Webster 6-1 Lee Hayes
Nick Fullwell 6-1 Steve Grubb
Andy Pearce 6-0 James Dunlop
John Quantock 6-3 Dave Honey
Tony Clark 6-0 Tommy McIntosh
Paul Williams 6-2 Steven Perry
Colin Monk 6-3 Martyn Bevan
Round One
Phil Taylor (1) 6-2 Darren Latham
Gary Mawson 6-4 Barrie Bates
Peter Manley (32) 6-1 Jon Archer
Michael Rosenauer 6-1 Matt Clark
Michael van Gerwen (16) 6-5 Anton Liscsey
Stephen Hardy 6-4 Ian McFarlane
Paul Nicholson (17) 6-0 Matt Draper
Darren Johnson 6-2 Mark Stephenson
Wes Newton (8) 6-0 Gary Eastwood
Alex Roy 6-1 Wayne Mardle
Brendan Dolan (25) 6-0 Jimmy O'Regan
Wayne Atwood 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Tony Eccles 6-3 Steve Beaton (9)
Tony Blundell 6-2 Frazer Hill
Kevin Painter (24) 6-0 Anastasia Dobromyslova
Mick McGowan 6-4 Kevin Dowling
Mareno Michels 6-2 Gary Anderson (5)
Steve Evans 6-4 Joe Cullen
Steve Brown (28) 6-1 Ron Atwill
Ian Lever 6-4 Sam Allen
Tony Ayres 6-5 Ronnie Baxter (12)
Kirk Shepherd 6-3 Sean White
Denis Ovens (21) 6-1 Paul Rowley
James Barton 6-2 Mark Frost
Colin Lloyd (4) 6-1 Tony Martin
Darren Weaver 6-3 Anthony Urmston-Toft
Jelle Klaasen (29) 6-1 Tom Martin
Dean Allsopp 6-1 Andy Fordham
Vincent van der Voort (13) 6-0 Matthew Wenham
Rick Lowther 6-3 Andy Hutchings
Nigel Heydon 6-4 Alan Tabern (20)
Darren Webster 6-1 Mark Carter
Mark Walsh (2) 6-0 Ian Jopling
Arron Monk 6-1 Simon Craven
Mark Webster (31) 6-5 Justin Pipe
Robbie Newland 6-2 Matt Padgett
Dennis Priestley (15) 6-3 Roland Scholten
Martyn Turner 6-4 Adrian Gray
Marko Puls 6-5 Andy Smith (18)
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Danny Pinhorne
Chris Thompson 6-4 James Wade (7)
Patrick Pace 6-4 Mark Jones
Mark Dudbridge (26) 6-4 Michael Smith
Nigel Birch 6-2 Andy Pearce
Wayne Jones (10) 6-0 Daz Mawer
Stuart Bousfield 6-1 Mark Hylton
Richie Burnett 6-4 Co Stompe (23)
Steve Musson 6-5 John Quantock
Dave Ladley 6-5 Adrian Lewis (6)
Louis Blundell 6-4 John Part
Peter Wright (27) 6-2 Ian Eames
Robert Alford 6-0 Tony Clark
Chris Mason 6-5 Jamie Caven (11)
Andy Callaby 6-3 Kevin McDine
Robert Thornton (22) 6-4 Steve Farmer
Paul Williams 6-2 Peter Hudson
Colin Osborne (3) 6-2 Steve Maish
Tony Randell 6-5 Dave Smith
Steve Hine (30) 6-3 Dennis Smith
Michael Barnard 6-1 Gary Blades
Andy Hamilton (14) 6-1 Chris Loudon
Kevin Harris 6-4 Geoff Whitworth
Terry Jenkins (19) 6-5 Mark Lawrence
Colin Monk 6-3 Jimi Parr
Round Two
Phil Taylor 6-2 Gary Mawson
Peter Manley 6-0 Michael Rosenauer
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Stephen Hardy
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Darren Johnson
Wes Newton 6-5 Alex Roy
Wayne Atwood 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Tony Eccles 6-1 Tony Blundell
Kevin Painter 6-2 Mick McGowan
Steve Evans 6-4 Mareno Michels
Steve Brown 6-5 Ian Lever
Kirk Shepherd 6-4 Tony Ayres
James Barton 6-5 Denis Ovens
Colin Lloyd 6-5 Darren Weaver
Jelle Klaasen 6-0 Dean Allsopp
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Rick Lowther
Nigel Heydon 6-4 Darren Webster
Mark Walsh 6-4 Arron Monk
Mark Webster 6-3 Robbie Newland
Dennis Priestley 6-2 Martyn Turner
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Marko Puls
Chris Thompson 6-3 Patrick Pace
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Nigel Birch
Stuart Bousfield 6-5 Wayne Jones
Steve Musson 6-4 Richie Burnett
Louis Blundell 6-1 Dave Ladley
Peter Wright 6-4 Robert Alford
Chris Mason 6-0 Andy Callaby
Robert Thornton 6-1 Paul Williams
Colin Osborne 6-5 Tony Randell
Michael Barnard 6-4 Steve Hine
Andy Hamilton 6-0 Kevin Harris
Terry Jenkins 6-4 Colin Monk
Losers £200
Round Three
Phil Taylor 6-2 Peter Manley
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Wes Newton 6-4 Wayne Atwood
Kevin Painter 6-5 Tony Eccles
Steve Evans 6-0 Steve Brown
Kirk Shepherd 6-4 James Barton
Colin Lloyd 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Nigel Heydon
Mark Webster 6-3 Mark Walsh
Nick Fullwell 6-1 Dennis Priestley
Mark Dudbridge 6-2 Chris Thompson
Stuart Bousfield 6-5 Steve Musson
Peter Wright 6-3 Louis Blundell
Robert Thornton 6-5 Chris Mason
Michael Barnard 6-3 Colin Osborne
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Terry Jenkins
Losers £300
Round Four
Phil Taylor 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Wes Newton 6-4 Kevin Painter
Kirk Shepherd 6-2 Steve Evans
Colin Lloyd 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Mark Webster 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Mark Dudbridge 6-2 Stuart Bousfield
Robert Thornton 6-4 Peter Wright
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Michael Barnard
Losers £500
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-1 Wes Newton
Colin Lloyd 6-0 Kirk Shepherd
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Mark Webster
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Robert Thornton
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-3 Colin Lloyd
Mark Dudbridge 6-2 Andy Hamilton
Losers £1,500
Final
Phil Taylor 6-0 Mark Dudbridge
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000