PHIL TAYLOR'S success in Las Vegas continued with victory over Denis Ovens in the final of Sunday's PDC US Open Players Championship.
Taylor followed up Saturday's World Cricket Championship win by taking the £6,000 first prize in the first of three successive PDC ProTour events being held during the New Tropicana World Series of Darts Festival.
The world number one overcame Kevin McDine, Paul Lim and Joe Cullen in the early rounds before overturning a 3-0 deficit against Nigel Heydon in the last 16.
A 6-2 victory over Mark Walsh in the quarter-finals, repeating his triumph in Saturday's final, was then followed by a 6-1 win over world number three James Wade in the semi-finals.
He kicked off the final against Ovens with a 180 in winning the first leg before taking an immediate break of throw to double his advantage.
Ovens punished two missed doubles to win the third leg, but then paid the price for missing single 18 to leave 40 in the next as Taylor stepped in on double 18.
Taylor landed a 177 in another 14-darter to move 4-1 up, and the pair traded the next two to leave the 15-time World Champion a leg away from victory.
Ovens posted a 180 in winning the eighth leg and hit another maximum in the next, but two misses at double 16 gave Taylor his chance to seal victory, which he took on double top.
Ovens' run saw him reach a fourth final of 2010 and comes only weeks after his semi-final appearance in the Rileys Darts Zones UK Open, as he added a further £3,000 to his ever-improving status on the PDC Order of Merit.
He had overcome Jelle Klaasen in the semi-finals, with Terry Jenkins, Steve Hine, Canada's Ken MacNeil, Japan's Shintaro Hirai and Dieter Schutsch his other victims.
Klaasen's semi-final run improves his hopes of qualifying for the StanJames.com World Matchplay, with just the Players Championships on Monday and Tuesday coming before the cut-off for the 16 Players Championship Order of Merit qualifiers.
The tournament also featured a nine-dart finish from Colin Lloyd, who earned a £2,000 bonus for the achievement - his third in-competition - during his second round win over Dave Switzer, although Terry Jenkins defeated him 6-5 in the next game.
Jenkins' run to the quarter-finals was his best since February in a welcome return to form, before he eventually lost to Ovens.
Adrian Lewis missed double 14 for a 121 finish in the deciding 11th leg of his quarter-final with Wade, while Gary Anderson picked up £1,000 in reaching the last eight.
PDC US Open Players Championship
Preliminary Round
Joe Cullen 6-3 Par Riihonen
John Kuczynski 6-5 Tony Randell
Dennis Smith 6-2 Steve Maish
Bill Davis 6-5 Nick Fullwell
Colin Monk 6-2 Steve Grubb
Frank Hernandez 6-3 Joe Swick
Mark Hylton 6-0 Scott Henning
Peter Manley 6-1 Andrew Penney
Greg Lewis 6-4 Robert Heckman
Ray Carver 6-1 Richard Hammond Jnr
Shawn Brenneman 6-1 Steve Barlock
Roger Carter 6-3 Nick Rivera
Andrew Bennett 6-3 Dave Ahmet
Daz Mawer 6-1 Al Moskwyn
Martyn Turner 6-0 Eddie Lawrence
Gary Mawson 6-0 Mark Nielsen
Roland Scholten 6-5 Akihiro Nagakawa
Isen Veljic 6-0 Martin Hulme
Dan Zimmerman 6-3 Gregory Coburn
Damien McKenna 6-0 Doug Meade
Steve Evans 6-1 Jason Roker
Sean Smyth 6-4 George Timpone
Richie Burnett 6-4 William O'Connor
Dave Honey 6-2 Masahiko Sano
Ken MacNeil 6-0 Josh Daynes
First Round
Phil Taylor (1) 6-2 Kevin McDine
Paul Lim 6-5 Ron Colvard
John Part (32) 6-0 Bobby Peters
Joe Cullen 6-2 Ryan vander Wiet
Andy Smith (16) 6-4 Connley Litton
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Jayson Barlow
Paul Nicholson (17) 6-2 Andy Relf
Dennis Smith 6-3 John Kuczynski
Mark Walsh (8) 6-0 Stuart Brown
Arron Monk 6-2 David Kendall
Mark Webster (25) 6-0 Robert Race
Colin Monk 6-5 Bill Davis
Andy Hamilton (9) 6-1 Stacy Bromberg
Matt Clark 6-0 Tom Jackowski
Brendan Dolan (24) 6-3 Wayne Mardle
Mark Hylton 6-5 Frank Hernandez
Vincent van der Voort (5) 6-0 Ross Snook
Ian White 6-0 Stephen Panuncialman
Tony Eccles (28) 6-0 David Flowers
Peter Manley 6-0 Mark Blazevich
James Wade (12) 6-1 Chris White
Andy Jenkins 6-0 Brian Jackson
Kevin Painter (21) 6-1 Jim Newman
Ray Carver 6-5 Greg Lewis
Adrian Lewis (4) 6-0 Jim McKevitt
Sean Downs 6-5 Howard Meyers
Co Stompe (29) 6-0 Danny Wood
Nico Depaynos 6-4 Shawn Brenneman
Ronnie Baxter (13) 6-3 Aodhagan O'Neill
Darren Johnson 6-0 Peter Schaumann
Barrie Bates (20) 6-2 Chris Thompson
Andrew Bennett 6-4 Roger Carter
Wes Newton (2) 6-2 Mick McGowan
Dan Olson 6-3 Dan Lauby II
Jelle Klaasen (31) 6-1 Don Campos
Ian McFarlane 6-5 Daz Mawer
Justin Pipe 6-4 Colin Osborne (15)
Scott Rand 6-3 Clint Clarkson
Alan Tabern (18) 6-2 Scott Kirchner
Gary Mawson 6-0 Martyn Turner
Gary Anderson (7) 6-3 Gerry Convery
Alex Roy 6-1 Drazen Severin
Peter Wright (26) 6-5 David Fatum
Roland Scholten 6-1 Dan Lauby
Jamie Caven (10) 6-1 Nick Holmes
Dave Ladley 6-1 Paul DiCecca
Steve Brown (23) 6-1 Jim Widmayer
Isen Veljic 6-1 Dan Zimmerman
Colin Lloyd (6) 6-0 Donny Joe
Dave Switzer 6-4 Andy Fordham
Terry Jenkins (27) 6-2 Adrian Gray
Scott Burnett 6-2 Damien McKenna
Darin Young 6-3 Steve Beaton (11)
Larry Butler 6-3 Kirk Shepherd
Robert Thornton (22) 6-0 Wayne Smith
Steve Evans 6-3 Sean Smyth
Simon Whitlock (3) 6-0 Rick Davis
Bob Sinnaeve 6-2 Hiromasa Mochizuki
Steve Hine (30) 6-2 Jeff Noble
Richie Burnett 6-1 Alvin Martin
Denis Ovens (14) 6-4 Dieter Schutsch
Shintaro Hirai 6-3 Edwin Martin
Chris Loudon 6-4 Mark Dudbridge (19)
Ken MacNeil 6-3 Dave Honey
Second Round
Phil Taylor 6-3 Paul Lim
Joe Cullen 6-3 John Part
Nigel Heydon 6-4 Andy Smith
Dennis Smith 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Mark Walsh 6-2 Arron Monk
Mark Webster 6-1 Colin Monk
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Matt Clark
Mark Hylton 6-1 Brendan Dolan
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Ian White
Tony Eccles 6-1 Peter Manley
James Wade 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Ray Carver 6-5 Kevin Painter
Adrian Lewis 6-0 Sean Downs
Co Stompe 6-1 Nico Depaynos
Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Darren Johnson
Barrie Bates 6-1 Andrew Bennett
Wes Newton 6-4 Dan Olson
Jelle Klaasen 6-2 Ian McFarlane
Justin Pipe 6-3 Scott Rand
Alan Tabern 6-2 Gary Mawson
Gary Anderson 6-1 Alex Roy
Roland Scholten 6-5 Peter Wright
Jamie Caven 6-3 Dave Ladley
Steve Brown 6-2 Isen Veljic
Colin Lloyd 6-3 Dave Switzer - Colin Lloyd hits nine-dart finish
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Scott Burnett
Darin Young 6-1 Larry Butler
Steve Evans 6-0 Robert Thornton
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Bob Sinnaeve
Steve Hine 6-2 Richie Burnett
Denis Ovens 6-0 Shintaro Hirai
Ken MacNeil 6-3 Chris Loudon
Losers £200
Third Round
Phil Taylor 6-1 Joe Cullen
Nigel Heydon 6-4 Dennis Smith
Mark Walsh 6-4 Mark Webster
Mark Hylton 6-2 Andy Hamilton
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Tony Eccles
James Wade 6-3 Ray Carver
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Co Stompe
Barrie Bates 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Wes Newton
Alan Tabern 6-1 Justin Pipe
Gary Anderson 6-5 Roland Scholten
Steve Brown 6-4 Jamie Caven
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Darin Young 6-2 Steve Evans
Steve Hine 6-1 Simon Whitlock
Denis Ovens 6-4 Ken MacNeil
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 6-3 Nigel Heydon
Mark Walsh 6-2 Mark Hylton
James Wade 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Barrie Bates
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Alan Tabern
Gary Anderson 6-4 Steve Brown
Terry Jenkins 6-4 Darin Young
Denis Ovens 6-4 Steve Hine
Losers £500
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-2 Mark Walsh
James Wade 6-5 Adrian Lewis
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Gary Anderson
Denis Ovens 6-4 Terry Jenkins
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-1 James Wade
Denis Ovens 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Losers £1,500
Final
Phil Taylor 6-3 Denis Ovens
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Final - Leg by Leg
1-0 - Taylor hits a 180 and takes out 62 in two darts to open the game
2-0 - Taylor breaks in 15 darts on double top
2-1 - Ovens breaks back, punishing misses at double 16 and eight by Taylor to land double 19 for the leg
3-1 - Ovens sees a chance to level go begging when he misses single 18 to leave double top, with Taylor posting double 18 for another break
4-1 - Taylor opens with a 177 and wins the leg on double top in 14 darts
4-2 - Taylor misses double 16 for a 108 finish and Ovens lands double top for his second leg
5-2 - Taylor hits a 180 and double eight puts him a leg away from victory with another 14-dart finish
5-3 - Ovens opens up with a 180 and takes out 68 to stay in the game
6-3 - Ovens leaves 46 with a 180, but misses two darts at double 16 and Taylor seals the win on double top