GARY ANDERSON picked up his fifth tournament victory of 2011 with a narrow 6-5 defeat of Wes Newton in Saturday's Dutch Darts Trophy Players Championship.
The Scot added to his success this year, which already includes the 888.com Premier League Darts victory he claimed a month ago, by winning the £6,000 event at the Van Der Valk Hotel in Nuland, Holland.
Having swept through his first four matches by dropping just three legs in the process, seeing off Jose Luis Rodriguez, Rocco Maes, Kim Huybrechts and Mark Hylton, he was pushed hard in battling to victory.
He edged past Vincent van der Voort 6-4 in the quarter-finals and then defeated Simon Whitlock 6-5 in the semis, after the Australian missed one dart for the win in the decider.
In the final, he broke Newton's throw immediately to take the opening leg and double ten to double his lead.
Newton, inpsired by a 101 finish, won three of the next four to level the game at three-all, before finishing double 16 at the sixth time of asking to win the seventh and take the lead.
Anderson levelled with a 100 finish which featured two double tops, but missed the bull to break in the ninth as Newton posted double ten to lead 5-4.
Anderson produced a brilliant 12-darter to level and send the game into a decider, which he opened with a 180.
Newton, though, was first to a double - only to miss darts at double 16 and double eight for victory as Anderson stepped up to finish 75 on tops and triumph.
"I'm really pleased," said Anderson. "I was made to work hard at the back end of the day by some great performances from Vincent, Simon and Wes, so it's a relief to come out of this the winner."
Newton's run to the final saw him continue a brilliant seam of form this year, coming only a fortnight after he was runner-up in the Speedy Hire UK Open and a week after he became a father for the first time.
He had opened his day with a whitewash win over Roland Kurok, before defeating Michael Mansell, Dave Chisnall, Roland Scholten, Michael van Gerwen and Mark Walsh on the day, and took home £3,000 as runner-up.
"It's disappointing to lose a second final in two weeks, and I don't want to become known as 'the bridesmaid' by losing," said Newton. "I'm obviously pleased, though, to have done so well and everything's going really well for me at the moment.
Whitlock's run to the semi-final also included a nine-dart finish in the opening leg of a win over Nigel Heydon, as he hit a perfect leg for the second successive weekend.
Walsh's semi-final appearance was his best display on the circuit since February, before he was eventually defeated by Newton.
A quarter-final run for Michael van Gerwen could prove vital for the young Dutchman in the race to secure qualification for the European Championship, while Colin Osborne reached the same stage to improve his chances of winning through to the World Matchplay.
Sunday's Players Championship will be the final event before the qualifiers for next month's World Matchplay are confirmed, with the provisional field for the European Championship also being announced, subject to change following the World Matchplay.
Dutch Darts Trophy Players Championship (Saturday)
Preliminary Round
Co Stompe Jnr 6-0 Johnny Okken
Hermie van Orsouw 6-2 Thomas May
Gilbert van der Meijden 6-1 Mike Schmidt
Gino Vos 6-2 Michael Jacques
Patrick Bulen 6-2 Erwin Renkema
Robert Wagner 6-5 Ryan de Vreede
Jimmy Hendricks 6-0 Rudolf Kruse
Edwin Max 6-1 Antonio Justicia
Steffen Schaffer 6-2 Mauro Stronati
Remco van Eijden 6-4 Robert-Jan Bartels
Davyd Venken 6-0 Romano Ruggeri
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Maik Langendorf
Toon Greebe 6-0 Andrea Guidi
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Jerry Hendricks
Ruzdya Hopic 6-1 Guiseppe Quintiero
First Round
Wes Newton (1) 6-0 Roland Kurok
Michael Mansell 6-5 Alex Roy
Dave Chisnall (32) 6-3 Robert Thornton
Matthew Edgar 6-2 Co Stompe Jnr
Denis Ovens (16) 6-4 Dyson Parody
Roland Scholten 6-4 Wayne Atwood
Kevin Painter (17) 6-0 Jon Archer
Dylan Duo 6-5 Adam Smith-Neale
Colin Lloyd (8) 6-1 Martino Tagliapietra
Prakash Jiwa 6-2 Andy Hutchings
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Andy Hamilton (25)
John Henderson 6-0 Hermie van Orsouw
Mark Webster (9) 6-3 Tonci Restovic
Mareno Michels 6-5 Jann Hoffmann
Richie Burnett (24) 6-2 Antonio Alcinas
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Gilbert van der Meiden
Mark Walsh (5) 6-1 Wilfried Hoberg
Boris Krcmar 6-3 Marko Kantele
Michael Smith 6-3 Tony Eccles (28)
Devon Petersen 6-3 Gino Vos
Andy Smith (12) 6-3 Kai Nithammer
Ian Jopling 6-3 Gary Welding
Steve Brown (21) 6-1 Matt Padgett
Mick Todd 6-1 Patrick Bulen
Jamie Caven (4) 6-4 Bryan de Hoog
Shaun Griffiths 6-1 Reece Robinson
Peter Wright (29) 6-4 Chris Aubrey
Robert Wagner 6-4 William O'Connor
Justin Pipe (13) 6-1 Barrie Bates
Matt Jackson 6-1 Ryan Harrington
Wayne Jones (20) 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
Joe Cullen 6-3 Jimmy Hendricks
Simon Whitlock (2) 6-0 Wilchard Vissers
Steve Evans 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Nigel Heydon (31) 6-3 Peter Hudson
Edwin Max 6-2 Matt Clark
Co Stompe (15) 6-0 Henry Zapata
Bernd Roith 6-4 Darren Whittingham
Steve Farmer (18) 6-3 Andree Welge
David Coyne 6-0 Steffen Schaffer
Ronnie Baxter (7) 6-2 Rico Dera
Magnus Caris 6-5 Steve Hine
Jelle Klaasen (26) 6-3 Dave Smith
Remco van Eijden 6-3 Steve Grubb
John Part (10) 6-0 Michael Peters
Aodhagan O'Neill 6-3 Kirk Shepherd
Colin Osborne (23) 6-3 Per Laursen
Chris Thompson 6-2 Davyd Venken
Vincent van der Voort (6) 6-1 Malcolm Shanahan
Carlos Rodriguez 6-4 John Michael
Nick Fullwell 6-4 Dennis Smith (27)
Shane O'Connor 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Alan Tabern (11) 6-1 Dick van Dijk
Adrian Gray 6-5 Peter Manley
Steve Beaton (22) 6-0 Darren Johnson
Mark Frost 6-2 Toon Greebe
Gary Anderson (3) 6-0 Jose Luis Rodriguez
Rocco Maes 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Scott Rand (30) 6-2 Brian Woods
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Jyhan Artut
James Wade (14) 6-4 Steve Maish
Kevin McDine 6-1 Ian White
Mark Hylton (19) 6-5 Veijo Viinikka
Ruzdya Hopic 6-2 Michael Rosenauer
Second Round
Wes Newton 6-2 Michael Mansell
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Matthew Edgar
Roland Scholten 6-3 Denis Ovens
Kevin Painter 6-3 Dylan Duo
Colin Lloyd 6-3 Prakash Jiwa
John Henderson 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Mark Webster 6-0 Mareno Michels
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Richie Burnett
Mark Walsh 6-2 Boris Krcmar
Michael Smith 6-4 Devon Petersen
Ian Jopling 6-4 Andy Smith
Steve Brown 6-2 Mick Todd
Jamie Caven 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Peter Wright 6-1 Robert Wagner
Justin Pipe 6-1 Matt Jackson
Wayne Jones 6-3 Joe Cullen
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Steve Evans
Nigel Heydon 6-2 Edwin Max
Co Stompe 6-4 Bernd Roith
Steve Farmer 6-4 David Coyne
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Magnus Caris
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Remco van Eijden
Aodhagan O'Neill 6-5 John Part
Colin Osborne 6-2 Chris Thompson
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Carlos Rodriguez
Nick Fullwell 6-4 Shane O'Connor
Alan Tabern 6-5 Adrian Gray
Steve Beaton 6-3 Mark Frost
Gary Anderson 6-1 Rocco Maes
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Scott Rand
James Wade 6-3 Kevin McDine
Mark Hylton 6-3 Ruzdya Hopic
Losers £200
Third Round
Wes Newton 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Roland Scholten 6-3 Kevin Painter
John Henderson 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Mark Webster
Mark Walsh 6-3 Michael Smith
Steve Brown 6-0 Ian Jopling
Peter Wright 6-2 Jamie Caven
Wayne Jones 6-1 Justin Pipe
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Nigel Heydon - Simon Whitlock hits nine-dart finish
Steve Farmer Bye (Co Stompe conceded)
Ronnie Baxter 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Colin Osborne 6-1 Aodhagan O'Neill
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Steve Beaton 6-3 Alan Tabern
Gary Anderson 6-1 Kim Huybrechts
Mark Hylton 6-3 James Wade
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Wes Newton 6-4 Roland Scholten
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 John Henderson
Mark Walsh 6-3 Steve Brown
Peter Wright 6-1 Wayne Jones
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Steve Farmer
Colin Osborne 6-1 Ronnie Baxter
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Steve Beaton
Gary Anderson 6-1 Mark Hylton
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Wes Newton 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Mark Walsh 6-0 Peter Wright
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Colin Osborne
Gary Anderson 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Wes Newton 6-3 Mark Walsh
Gary Anderson 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Losers £2,000
Final
Gary Anderson 6-5 Wes Newton
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Final - Leg-by-leg
Wes Newton 0-0 Gary Anderson
0-0 - Wes Newton wins the bull and throws first
0-1 - Anderson breaks in 15 darts, hitting double top with Newton waiting on 40.
0-2 - Anderson opens with scores of 180 and 140, and lands double ten with his six dart at a double to move 2-0 up.
1-2 - Newton finishes 101 on tops to get off the mark, with Anderson waiting on 60.
1-3 - Anderson finishes double five to regain his two-leg lead.
2-3 - The pair trade 180s in the middle of the leg, which Newton follows with a 159 to leave 24. Anderson misses the bull for a 170 finish, and the world number eight returns to hit double six for a 14-darter.
3-3 - Newton takes out 100 on double ten to break throw and level.
4-3 - Newton hits three scores of 100 or better to leave 32 after 12 darts, and has the breathing space to miss five darts at double 16 before finally hitting the bed to lead for the first time.
4-4 - Newton htis a 137 to leave 40 after 12 darts, but Anderson finishes 100 with single 20 and two double tops to level.
5-4 - Newton misses tops for a 125 finish, but Anderson's missed bull for a 124 checkout allows him back to hit double ten at the third time of asking to move to the brink of victory.
5-5 - Anderson sends the match into a decider with a 12-darter, following up scores of 140, 140 and 145 with tops.
5-6 - Anderson opens with a 180, and although Newton is first to a double the Fleetwood ace misses darts at double 16 and eight for the win and Anderson posts tops for the win.