JAMES WADE picked up his first Players Championship win of 2010 with a 6-4 defeat of Terry Jenkins in Saturday's final in Nuland.
The world number three, whose only other victory this year came in a UK Open Qualifier in May, took the £6,000 title with a consistently high quality day of darts in Holland.
Wade dropped only three legs in his opening three games, defeating Robert-Jan Bartels, Sam Allen and Jelle Klaasen, before producing strong finishes to see off Mark Walsh 6-5 and Alan Tabern 6-4.
In the semi-finals, he won five successive legs in taking a 5-1 lead against Colin Osborne, before sealing a 6-2 triumph to set up a final against world number five Jenkins.
A brilliant 167 checkout gave Wade the opening leg before Jenkins hit back to lead 2-1, with the next four legs going with the throw as the world number five landed an 11-darter for a 4-3 lead.
But Wade defied two 180s from his opponent to level in the eighth, broke throw on double eight in the next and then sealed the win with a clinical two-dart 84 finish.
Jenkins had won through to his first final since February with a narrow 6-4 win over Wes Newton in the semis, having earlier defeated Mick McGowan, Peter Martin, Andy Hamilton, Ian White and Kim Huybrechts.
Osborne's semi-final appearance was his best performance since May as he enjoyed a welcome return to form - including a fightback from 5-2 down to defeat Steve Brown - while in-form Newton reached the last four for the third time in his last five events.
Belgian qualifier Huybrechts was a surprise quarter-finalists, seeing off Braulio Roncero, Aodhagan O'Neill, Matt Clark, Mark Dudbridge and Colin Lloyd on the day.
Alan Tabern and Jamie Caven continued their good recent form by also reaching the last eight, alongside Mervyn King.
Vincent van der Voort's run to the last 16 included a 6-5 win over Sweden's Magnus Caris, who missed the bullseye for a 170 finish in the deciding leg of their game, while Ian White reached the same stage for only the second time in his PDC career thanks to a deciding-leg defeat of Richie Burnett.
Raymond van Barneveld and Robert Thornton withdrew from the weekend's events through illness after originally entering.
Play in Nuland continues with a second Dutch Players Championship on Sunday, which is the final event before the qualifiers for the Bodog.com World Grand Prix are confirmed.
Despite a first round exit on Saturday, Mark Webster retained the 12th Players Championship qualifying place, and sits £600 ahead of Steve Beaton and £800 ahead of Jelle Klaasen going into Sunday's event.
Dutch Players Championship (Saturday)
Preliminary Round
Leon De Geus 6-3 Jorgen Aerts
Bobby Biemans 6-2 Andries Sterk
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Braulio Roncero
Roy Westerlaken 6-5 Dennis Koenen
First Round
Simon Whitlock (1) 6-2 Andy Hutchings
William O'Connor 6-0 Ian Jopling
Justin Pipe (32) 6-3 John Michael
Kevin McDine 6-5 Kevin Munch
Alan Tabern (16) 6-4 Steve Maish
Joe Cullen 6-4 Andy Relf
Co Stompe (17) 6-1 Bernd Roith
Adrian Gray 6-5 Leon de Geus
James Wade (8) 6-0 Robert-Jan Bartels
Sam Allen 6-3 Andree Welge
Jelle Klaasen (25) 6-2 Jyhan Artut
John Part 6-0 Milos Bedy
Mark Walsh (9) 6-0 Michael Klonhammer
Chris Iedema 6-3 Mark Hylton
Brendan Dolan (24) 6-5 Tony Randell
Carlos Rodriguez 6-0 Lars Erkelenz
Vincent van der Voort (5) 6-1 Rudiger Lohse
Gary Mawson 6-3 Tonci Restovic
Peter Wright (28) 6-4 John MaGowan
Magnus Caris 6-1 Karsten Kornath
Colin Osborne (12) 6-2 Dave Ladley
Scott Rand 6-2 Anastasia Dobromyslova
Steve Brown (21) 6-2 Jorn Lossau
Martino Tagliepietra 6-2 Michael Rosenauer
Adrian Lewis (4) 6-4 Colin Monk
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Willem Kralt
Steve Hine (29) 6-1 Johnny Okken
Gary Eastwood 6-5 Maik Langendorf
Mervyn King (13) 6-3 Olaf Tupuschis
Nick Fullwell 6-4 Darren Johnson
Jerry Hendricks 6-4 Kevin Painter (20)
Dennis Smith 6-3 Bobby Biemans
Colin Lloyd (2) 6-5 Wayne Atwood
Steve Grubb 6-3 Nandor Bezzeg
Willy van der Wiel 6-5 Nigel Heydon (31)
Steve Farmer 6-5 Marko Puls
Mark Dudbridge (15) 6-2 Niels Stuiver
Kirk Shepherd 6-1 Anton Liscsey
Matt Clark 6-5 Barrie Bates (18)
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Aodhagan O'Neill
Andy Hamilton (7) 6-4 Tony Ayres
Stefanie Luck 6-4 Michael Peters
Terry Jenkins (26) 6-1 Mick McGowan
Peter Martin 6-4 Wim Mink
Par Riihonen 6-5 Wayne Jones (10)
Ian White 6-1 Andy Pearce
Michael van Gerwen (23) 6-5 Johan van Lier
Richie Burnett 6-2 Ian McFarlane
Jamie Caven (6) 6-3 Mario Masurka
Steve Evans 6-5 Sergio Pettarini
Arron Monk 6-3 Tony Eccles (27)
Davyd Venken 6-3 Antonio Alcinas
Steve Beaton (11) 6-5 Mareno Michels
Alex Roy 6-0 Mark Frost
Roland Scholten 6-4 Mark Webster (22)
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Tomas Seyler
Wes Newton (3) 6-1 Frank Liebeton
Kevin Wensink 6-3 Maurizio Monterubbianesi
Chris Thompson (30) 6-2 Jochen Graudenz
Dylan Duo 6-0 Romano Ruggeri
Ronnie Baxter (14) 6-0 Barry Zander
Jon Archer 6-4 Henry Zapata
Paul Nicholson (19) 6-5 Joey Ten Berge
Sebastijan Pecjak 6-2 Roy Westerlaken
Second Round
William O'Connor 6-2 Simon Whitlock
Justin Pipe 6-4 Kevin McDine
Alan Tabern 6-4 Joe Cullen
Adrian Gray 6-4 Co Stompe
James Wade 6-2 Sam Allen
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 John Part
Mark Walsh 6-2 Chris Iedema
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Carlos Rodriguez
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Gary Mawson
Magnus Caris 6-4 Peter Wright
Colin Osborne 6-5 Scott Rand
Steve Brown 6-2 Martino Tagliepietra
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Adrian Lewis
Steve Hine 6-2 Gary Eastwood
Mervyn King 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Dennis Smith 6-3 Jerry Hendriks
Colin Lloyd 6-2 Steve Grubb
Steve Farmer 6-5 Willy van der Wiel
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Kirk Shepherd
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Matt Clark
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Stefanie Luck
Terry Jenkins 6-1 Peter Martin
Ian White 6-3 Par Riihonen
Richie Burnett 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Jamie Caven 6-1 Steve Evans
Davyd Venken 6-1 Arron Monk
Steve Beaton 6-4 Alex Roy
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Roland Scholten
Wes Newton 6-1 Kevin Wensink
Chris Thompson 6-2 Dylan Duo
Ronnie Baxter 6-0 Jon Archer
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Sebastijan Pecjak
Losers £200
Third Round
Justin Pipe 6-5 William O'Connor
Alan Tabern 6-3 Adrian Gray
James Wade 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Mark Walsh 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Magnus Caris
Colin Osborne 6-5 Steve Brown
Andy Jenkins 6-3 Steve Hine
Mervyn King 6-5 Dennis Smith
Colin Lloyd 6-0 Steve Farmer
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Mark Dudbridge
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Andy Hamilton
Ian White 6-5 Richie Burnett
Jamie Caven 6-3 Davyd Venken
Steve Beaton 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Wes Newton 6-1 Chris Thompson
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Paul Nicholson
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Alan Tabern 6-4 Justin Pipe
James Wade 6-5 Mark Walsh
Colin Osborne 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Mervyn King 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Colin Lloyd
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Ian White
Jamie Caven 6-4 Steve Beaton
Wes Newton 6-5 Ronnie Baxter
Losers £500
Quarter-Finals
James Wade 6-4 Alan Tabern
Colin Osborne 6-3 Mervyn King
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Kim Huybrechts
Wes Newton 6-5 Jamie Caven
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
James Wade 6-2 Colin Osborne
Terry Jenkins 6-4 Wes Newton
Losers £1,500
Final
James Wade 6-4 Terry Jenkins
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Semi-Finals
Terry Jenkins won through to the final with a 6-4 defeat of Wes Newton. Jenkins took the first despite a 180 from Newton, who took the next two in legs of 11 and 12 darts to hit the front. Jenkins took the next three on double top, including finishes of 78 and 80, to move 4-2 up, but a miss at the same bed allowed Newton to follow up another 180 with a 100 finish for the seventh.
Newton also hit a 180, and double 12, to win the eighth and level before the pair traded scores of 171 and 177 to leave a double in the next, Jenkins hitting double 12 for a 5-4 lead, and sealed victory on the same bed in the tenth with a 97 finish.
James Wade marched into the final, seeing off Colin Osborne 6-2. The left-hander came from a leg down reel off five unanswered legs, taking command with breaks of throw in the third and fifth legs in taking a 4-1 lead before punishing five missed doubles from Osborne in the sixth. Osborne landed double eight to pull back to 5-2, but Wade too the next on double 12 to move into the decider.
Final
Jenkins 0-1 Wade - Wade takes out 167 against the throw to lead
1-1 - Jenkins levels on double top with his third dart
2-1 - Double top edges Jenkins ahead
2-2 - Wade finishes 86 on double seven with Jenkins waiting on 40
3-2 - Jenkins hits a 180 and takes out 116
3-3 - Double ten sees Wade level
4-3 - Jenkins finishes 87 for an 11-darter
4-4 - Wade levels following a bizarre leg, with Jenkins hitting 180, 180 to open the leg, but missing five darts at a double before Wade followed up scores of 140, 140 and 137 to eventually win the leg on double one
4-5 - Wade breaks on double eight, with Jenkins waiting on 40
4-6 - The world number three seals victory with a two-dart 84 finish