SIMON WHITLOCK claimed his first title for over two years as he produced a comeback win over Ronny Huybrechts in the Players Championship 18 final in Dublin, after earlier ending Michael van Gerwen's winning streak.
Australian star Whitlock had last tasted success in a ranking event in June 2014, but followed up last week's nine-dart finish with an outstanding day at the Citywest Hotel to claim the £10,000 title.
Early wins over Matthew Edgar, Yordi Meeuwisse and Brendan Dolan set up a last 16 clash with in-form world number one van Gerwen, who had won eight successive ranking events since mid-June, including Friday's Players Championship.
However, the Dutchman's run was ended as Whitlock claimed a 6-3 triumph, before he dropped only one leg in each of his quarter-final and semi-final wins, against Justin Pipe and Steve West respectively as he progressed to the decider.
Belgian ace Huybrechts had won through to his first ProTour final since May 2013, overcoming Darren Johnson, Stuart Kellett, Cristo Reyes, Kyle Anderson, Jelle Klaasen and Daryl Gurney.
He then opened the decider in style by taking a 3-0 lead as Whitlock paid for early missed doubles in two of the opening three legs.
Whitlock hit back to 3-2 before Huybrechts edged a high-quality sixth leg, with the Australian then missing double 18 for a nine-dart finish in the seventh, before returning to land double nine for a ten-dart finish.
Huybrechts posted double six to move to the brink of victory at 5-3, but Whitlock hit back before punishing two match darts from the Belgian to level and force a decider which the former European Champion took for glory.
"It means so much to me," said Whitlock, who has dropped to 20th on the PDC Order of Merit. "I feel like this has been coming and today was the day it all came good, but this is the start of me getting back to my best.
"I played fantastic darts all day but I got nervous towards the end of the final. I want to use this win as motivation to get back to where I was a few years ago.
"It's been a really tough couple of years but I've worked so hard and it is starting to pay off finally."
Huybrechts picked up £6,000 as the runner-up as he enjoyed his best performance of 2016, while West followed up last week's run to a Players Championship in Barnsley - which secured him qualification for the Unibet World Grand Prix - by reaching the semi-finals.
Northern Irish ace Gurney also won through to the last four, battling past Andy Boulton, Andy Hamilton, Joe Cullen, Mark Webster and Ian White in an encouraging display in only his second event after returning from a month sidelined with a broken bone in his throwing hand.
World number three Adrian Lewis won through to the quarter-finals alongside Klaasen, White and Pipe, while the last 16 included van Gerwen and his World Grand Prix rivals for this week's forthcoming event, Mensur Suljovic and Kyle Anderson.
Mark Webster, Ronnie Baxter, David Pallett, Jermaine Wattimena and Mike De Decker also reached the last 16, while World Champion Gary Anderson was ousted by namesake Kyle at the last 32 stage.
The Players Championship was the final event before the £400,000 Unibet World Grand Prix begins on Sunday at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, live on Sky Sports.
Both Players Championship events on Friday and Saturday were streamed through www.LIVEPDC.TV, with the further tournaments on October 21-22 also set to be broadcast online.
Players Championship 18
Saturday October 1, Citywest Hotel, Dublin
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-4 Ron Meulenkamp
William O'Connor 6-5 Jamie Lewis
Vincent van der Voort (32) 6-5 Jim Walker
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-5 Darron Brown
Simon Whitlock (16) 6-3 Matthew Edgar
Yordi Meeuwisse 6-1 Prakash Jiwa
Mark Walsh 6-3 Terry Jenkins (17)
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Kevin Dowling
James Wade (8) 6-2 Jason Wilson
Andy Jenkins 6-1 Nigel Daniels
Justin Pipe (25) 6-3 Curtis Hammond
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Tony Newell
Gerwyn Price (9) 6-4 Kirk Shepherd
Steve Hine 6-3 Jan Dekker
Jamie Caven (24) 6-4 Mark Frost
Ronnie Baxter 6-4 Jonathan Worsley
Benito van de Pas (5) 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Robert Owen 6-4 Simon Preston
Steve West (28) 6-2 Mick McGowan
Andy Smith 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Dave Ladley 6-4 Michael Smith (12)
Wes Newton 6-4 Kevin Painter
James Wilson (21) 6-5 Ken MacNeil
David Pallett 6-1 Ryan Palmer
Alan Tabern 6-5 Kim Huybrechts (4)
Mike Zuydwijk 6-3 Ricky Williams
Jermaine Wattimena (29) 6-3 Steve Brown
Darren Webster 6-5 Devon Petersen
John Bowles 6-2 Alan Norris (13)
Keegan Brown 6-3 Ricky Evans
Adrian Lewis (20) 6-0 Stephen Willard
Simon Stevenson 6-2 Chris Quantock
Peter Wright (2) 6-1 Shaun Griffiths
Mickey Mansell 6-0 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Mark Webster (21) 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Matt Clark 6-2 Dean Winstanley
Joe Cullen (15) 6-1 Antonio Alcinas
James Richardson 6-1 Scott Dale
Daryl Gurney (18) 6-3 Andy Boulton
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Harry Robinson
Ian White (7) 6-1 Richie Corner
Johnny Haines 6-1 Wayne Jones
Robbie Green (26) 6-4 Christian Kist
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Steve McNally
Mike De Decker 6-5 Stephen Bunting (10)
Nigel Heydon 6-5 Matthew Dennant
Mervyn King (23) 6-2 Ray Campbell
Berry van Peer 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Stuart Kellett 6-5 Dave Chisnall (6)
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Darren Johnson
Cristo Reyes (27) 6-1 Terry Temple
Josh Payne 6-0 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Gary Anderson (11) 6-1 Brian Woods
Vincent Kamphuis 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Kyle Anderson (22) 6-1 Jamie Robinson
Brettt Claydon 6-1 John Henderson
Mensur Suljovic (3) 6-3 Paul Milford
Chris Dobey 6-5 John Part
Robert Thornton (30) 6-1 Jason Marriott
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-5 Haruki Muramatsu
Jelle Klaasen (14) 6-0 Dennis Smith
Peter Hudson 6-1 Nathan Derry
Steve Beaton (19) 6-1 Mark Barilli
Joe Murnan 6-5 Ted Evetts
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 William O'Connor
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Yordi Meeuwisse
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Mark Walsh
Andy Jenkins 6-5 James Wade
Justin Pipe 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Steve Hine
Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Jamie Caven
Benito van de Pas 6-1 Robert Owen
Steve West 6-2 Andy Smith
Dave Ladley 6-4 Wes Newton
David Pallett 6-2 James Wilson
Alan Tabern 6-3 Mike Zuydwijk
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Darren Webster
Keegan Brown 6-2 John Bowles
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Simon Stevenson
Peter Wright 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Mark Webster 6-4 Matt Clark
Joe Cullen 6-5 James Richardson
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Andy Hamilton
Ian White 6-4 Johnny Haines
Robbie Green 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Mike De Decker 6-1 Nigel Heydon
Mervyn King 6-1 Berry van Peer
Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Stuart Kellett
Cristo Reyes 6-4 Josh Payne
Gary Anderson 6-5 Vincent Kamphuis
Kyle Anderson 6-1 Brett Claydon
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Chris Dobey
Robert Thornton 6-4 Jeffrey de Graaf
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Peter Hudson
Joe Murnan 6-4 Steve Beaton
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Simon Whitlock 6-4Brendan Dolan
Justin Pipe 6-5 Andy Jenkins
Ronnie Baxter 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Steve West 6-4 Benito van de Pas
David Pallett 6-0 Dave Ladley
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Alan Tabern
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Keegan Brown
Mark Webster 6-4 Peter Wright
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Joe Cullen
Ian White 6-4 Robbie Green
Mike De Decker 6-3 Mervyn King
Ronny Huybrechts 6-4 Cristo Reyes
Kyle Anderson 6-4 Gary Anderson
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Robert Thornton
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Joe Murnan
Fourth Round
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Justin Pipe 6-2 Ronnie Baxter
Steve West 6-3 David Pallett
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Mark Webster
Ian White 6-4 Mike De Decker
Ronny Huybrechts 6-4 Kyle Anderson
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Quarter-Finals
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Justin Pipe
Steve West 6-3 Adrian Lewis
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Ian White
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
Semi-Finals
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Steve West
Ronny Huybrechts 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Final
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts