PHIL TAYLOR won his fourth PDC ProTour title of 2010 with a 6-2 defeat of Peter Wright in the final of the sixth UK Open Qualifier.
World Champion Taylor responded in style to a rare semi-final loss, to Simon Whitlock in Saturday's Players Championship, by powering through the field at the Moorways Leisure Centre in Derby to claim the £6,000 title.
Taylor overcame Martyn Bevan, Mick McGowan and Stoke rival Mark Frost in the early rounds, and came from 4-1 down to see off James Wade 6-4 in the last 16.
He then defeated Mark Webster and Vincent van der Voort to reach the final, where he swept past Wright 6-3.
Taylor made his mark immediately in the final, winning the opening three legs before Wright produced a 13-dart finish to get off the mark.
Taylor took out 102 to win a fourth leg before Wright, from Lowestoft, bettered that with a 103 checkout to pull back to 4-2.
He also hit a 180 in the next, but Taylor posted double ten for a 13-dart finish and then sealed the win with a brilliant 161 checkout.
Wright's performance saw him reach his first final as a professional, earning him £3,000 in the process.
He made fine comebacks to see off Tony Eccles and Kevin Painter in reaching the final, and also defeated Adrian Lewis, Wayne Jones, Stephen Hardy and Robert Alford in a strong performance.
Painter's run to the semis equalled his best run of the year, while van der Voort was denied a second title of 2010 by Taylor in the last four.
Maish reached the last eight for the second time this year, while Andy Hamilton's strong recent form continued with his run to the quarters, where he went down in a deciding leg to van der Voort.
Two remaining qualifiers will be held in Wigan in the next month for players to win a place in June's UK Open at Bolton, with the top 96 players, plus ties, from the UK Open Order of Merit going on to compete at the Reebok Stadium.
UK Open Qualifier 6
Preliminary Round
Jimmy Mann 6-2 Ian McFarlane
Stuart Dutton 6-3 Mark Jodrill
Simon Cunningham 6-3 Kevin Dowling
Peter Hudson 6-3 Darren Webster
Robert Alford 6-2 Stephen Perkins
Anastasia Dobromyslova 6-3 Mark Cox
Steve Musson 6-2 Andy Fordham
First Round
Mick McGowan 6-2 Paul Williams
Phil Taylor 6-2 Martyn Bevan
Mark Frost 6-4 Richie Burnett
Jimmy Mann 6-5 Dave Ladley
Mark Dudbridge 6-2 Ian Lever
Gary Eastwood 6-2 Wayne Mardle
James Wade 6-2 Ian White
Stuart Dutton 6-5 Mark Lawrence
Steve Evans 6-4 Geoff Whitworth
Terry Jenkins 6-4 Rick Lowther
Mark Webster 6-1 Lee Williams
Nigel Heydon 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Colin Lloyd 6-1 Andy Relf
Steve Brown 6-3 Dave Smith
Alan Tabern 6-4 Andy Pearce
Martyn Turner 6-4 Stuart Bousfield
William O'Connor 6-4 Nick Fullwell
Alex Roy 6-1 Darren Latham
Paul Nicholson 6-0 Brian Startin
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Simon Cunningham
Barrie Bates 6-2 Arron Monk
Dennis Smith 6-4 Matt Padgett
Par Riihonen 6-2 Steve Grubb
Peter Hudson 6-0 Louis Blundell
Mark Walsh 6-0 Chris Sargeant
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Ron Atwill
Dennis Priestley 6-0 Lee Hayes
Denis Ovens 6-1 Jon Archer
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Lee White
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Scott Rang
Colin Osborne 6-3 Dean Allsopp
Kirk Shepherd 6-5 Chris Loudon
Stephen Hardy 6-1 Ronnie Baxter
Mark Stephenson 6-4 Robbie Newland
Wayne Jones 6-0 Daz Mawer
Peter Wright 6-5 Robert Alford
Adrian Lewis 6-0 Steve Farmer
Steven Pearson 6-5 Dave Honey
Brendan Dolan 6-0 Matt Gallett
Steve Beaton 6-2 Anastasia Dobromyslova
Andy Smith 6-0 Frazer Hill
Colin Monk 6-2 Simon Burt
Matt Clark 6-2 Kevin Harris
Sam Allen 6-2 Steve Hine
Jamie Caven 6-5 Tony Randell
Robert Thornton 6-2 Andy Fulton
Jason Clark 6-2 Tony Martin
Tony Eccles 6-2 Tom Martin
Steve Maish 6-5 Andy Hutchings
Darren Johnson 6-3 Patrick Pace
Paul Rowley 6-5 Chris Mason
Chris Thompson 6-1 Steve Musson
Danny Pinhorne 6-4 Kevin McDine
John Part 6-0 Jimmy Dunlop
Roland Scholten 6-4 Chris Allen
Adrian Gray 6-2 Norman Fletcher
Kevin Painter 6-0 Jim McKevitt
Michael Smith 6-4 Michael Barnard
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Andy Callaby
Justin Pipe 6-1 Shaun Dring
Dave Askew 6-1 Mareno Michels
Gary Mawson 6-2 Nigel Birch
Wes Newton 6-2 Jamie Atkins
Gary Anderson 6-0 Terry Temple
Second Round
Phil Taylor 6-1 Mick McGowan
Mark Frost 6-1 Jimmy Mann
Gary Eastwood 6-4 Mark Dudbridge
James Wade 6-2 Stuart Dutton
Steve Evans 6-3 Terry Jenkins
Mark Webster 6-3 Nigel Heydon
Steve Brown 6-4 Colin Lloyd
Alan Tabern 6-5 Martyn Turner
William O'Connor 6-2 Alex Roy
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Barrie Bates 6-4 Dennis Smith
Par Riihonen 6-2 Peter Hudson
Mark Walsh 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Dennis Priestley 6-3 Denis Ovens
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Colin Osborne 6-1 Kirk Shepherd
Stephen Hardy 6-4 Mark Stephenson
Peter Wright 6-3 Wayne Jones
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Steven Pearson
Steve Beaton 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Andy Smith 6-4 Colin Monk
Matt Clark 6-5 Sam Allen
Jamie Caven 6-3 Robert Thornton
Tony Eccles 6-4 Jason Clark
Steve Maish 6-2 Darren Johnson
Chris Thompson 6-1 Paul Rowley
John Part 6-2 Danny Pinhorne
Adrian Gray 6-3 Roland Scholten
Kevin Painter 6-2 Michael Smith
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Justin Pipe
Gary Mawson 6-3 Dave Askew
Gary Anderson 6-2 Wes Newton
Losers £200
Third Round
Phil Taylor 6-1 Mark Frost
James Wade 6-4 Gary Eastwood
Mark Webster 6-5 Steve Evans
Alan Tabern 6-1 Steve Brown
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 William O'Connor
Barrie Bates 6-1 Par Riihonen
Dennis Priestley 6-4 Mark Walsh
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Colin Osborne
Peter Wright 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Steve Beaton
Matt Clark 6-5 Andy Smith
Tony Eccles 6-4 Jamie Caven
Steve Maish 6-2 Chris Thompson
John Part 6-5 Adrian Gray
Kevin Painter 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Gary Anderson 6-2 Gary Mawson
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 6-4 James Wade
Mark Webster 6-3 Alan Tabern
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Barrie Bates
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Dennis Priestley
Peter Wright 6-3 Adrian Lewis
Tony Eccles 6-2 Matt Clark
Steve Maish 6-5 John Part
Kevin Painter 6-2 Gary Anderson
Losers £500
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-2 Mark Webster
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Andy Hamilton
Peter Wright 6-4 Tony Eccles
Kevin Painter 6-4 Steve Maish
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-3 Vincent van der Voort
Peter Wright 6-4 Kevin Painter
Losers £1,500
Final
Phil Taylor 6-2 Peter Wright
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Final - Leg By Leg
1-0 - Taylor takes out double eight for the opening leg
2-0 - Taylor breaks throw with an 89 finish, ending again on double eight
3-0 - A 13-dart finish from Taylor puts him three legs up
3-1 - Wright gets his first leg on the board in 13 darts, courtesy of double top
4-1 - Taylor takes out 102 to regain his three-leg cushion
4-2 - Wright responds to a 180 from Taylor by checking out 103 on double top
5-2 - Taylor posts another 13-darter to move a leg away from victory
6-2 - Taylor takes out 161 to claim the win