PAUL NICHOLSON has won the Australian Open Players Championship, defeating Robert Thornton in the final.
Nicholson claimed the £5,000 winner's cheque for the first time in a PDC Pro Tour event with the victory, in a repeat of the 2008 final.
A year ago, Thornton had taken victory but this time was defeated 6-1 in the decider by the former DPA number one.
Nicholson began his challenge at the Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney with whitewashes of Steve Nichols and Daniel Sim, before overcoming Jerry Weyman 6-3 in the last 16.
He was a 6-1 winner against Craig Prizeman in the quarter-finals, and edged out Mark Walsh in a deciding leg at the last four stage.
Thornton enjoyed his best run since winning both PDC Pro Tour events in Irvine in March by reaching the final, failing to drop a leg in wins over Bill Keogh, Don Whittington and Phillip Hazel before also defeating Brian Roach and Simon Whitlock.
Whitlock overcame Kevin McDine and also edged out Queensland rival Shane Tichowitsch in reaching the semi-finals.
Walsh enjoyed victories over Kiwi pair Preston Ridd and Warren Parry as well as Steve Hine, but his bid for a fifth tournament win of 2009 was narrowly ended in the semis.
Recent stanjames.com World Matchplay finalist Terry Jenkins was a 6-5 first round loser to Barry Jouannet, the former Oceanic Masters winner, while Denis Ovens lost in the last 32 to Tichowitsch.
Australian Open Players Championship
Preliminary Round
Tim Gatward 6-1 Bob Evans
Don Whittington 6-1 Rod Crawford
John Hector 6-4 Kylie Townes
Jordan Russell 6-1 Rob Lord
Ivan Townes 6-3 Andrew Coburn
Dave Muller 6-3 Kim Anderson
Steve MacArthur 6-1 Brian Fordham
Shane Tichowitsch 6-0 Stuart Jackson
John Bunyard 6-1 Roland Smith
Preston Ridd 6-2 Bill Aitken
John Gault 6-2 Graham Davis
Rob Modra 6-4 Colin Sharp
Paul Cotton 6-4 Matt Kaletta
Paul Neighbour 6-3 Stephen Makings
Tommy Hyland 6-2 Arnel Galvez
Jerry Weyman 6-3 Alex Clarke
Dean McGladdery 6-1 Heath Daley
Dave McKay 6-1 Daniel Brown
First Round
Robert Thornton 6-0 Bill Keogh
Don Whittington 6-5 Tim Gatward
Phillip Hazell 6-4 Dave Whitmore
John Hector 6-1 Wayne Murphy
Mark Webster 6-2 Wayne Brown
Dave Fitzpatrick 6-1 Jordan Russell
Brian Roach 6-1 Reg Tapper
Ivan Townes 6-1 Richard Charteris
Kevin McDine 6-0 Wayne Murray
Chippy Miller 6-4 Dave Muller
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Phil Bottrell
Dave Breasley 6-3 Steve MacArthur
Denis Ovens 6-3 Tony Crampton
Shane Tichowitsch 6-3 Alec Martin
Raymond O'Donnell 6-0 Gordon Ling
John Bunyard 6-3 Jeff Jones
Mark Walsh 6-0 Stuart Coburn
Preston Ridd 6-4 John Gault
Warren Parry 6-0 Sue Carpenter
Rob Modra 6-0 Brian Rowe
Steve Hine 6-2 Kevin Luland
Paul Cotton 6-2 Rod Neeson
Russell Stewart 6-0 Peter Asmussen
Paul Neighbour 6-0 Margaret Coburn
Paul Nicholson 6-0 Steve Nichols
Daniel Sim 6-4 Tommy Hyland
Warren French 6-2 Peter Woods
Jerry Weyman 6-1 Alan Scott
Barry Jouannet 6-5 Terry Jenkins
Dean McGladdery 6-0 Kate Gifford
Craig Prizeman 6-2 Mark Taafe
Dave McKay 6-2 Vaughan Perrett
Losers £100
Second Round
Robert Thornton 6-0 Don Whittington
Phillip Hazel 6-1 John Hector
Mark Webster 6-3 Dave Fitzpatrick
Brian Roach 6-2 Ivan Townes
Kevin McDine 6-2 Chippy Miller
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Dave Breasley
Shane Tichowitsch 6-5 Denis Ovens
Raymond O'Donnell 6-4 John Bunyard
Mark Walsh 6-1 Preston Ridd
Warren Parry 6-3 Rob Modra
Steve Hine 6-0 Paul Cotton
Russell Stewart 6-5 Paul Neighbour
Paul Nicholson 6-0 Daniel Sim
Jerry Weyman 6-5 Warren French
Barry Jouannet 6-3 Dean McGladdery
Craig Prizeman 6-3 Dave McKay
Losers £200
Third Round
Robert Thornton 6-0 Phillip Hazel
Brian Roach 6-3 Mark Webster
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Kevin McDine
Shane Tichowitsch 6-2 Raymond O'Donnell
Mark Walsh 6-0 Warren Parry
Steve Hine 6-4 Russell Stewart
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Jerry Weyman
Craig Prizeman 6-1 Barry Jouannet
Losers £300
Quarter-Finals
Robert Thornton 6-4 Brian Roach
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Shane Tichowitsch
Mark Walsh 6-3 Steve Hine
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Craig Prizeman
Losers £700
Semi-Finals
Robert Thornton 6-1 Simon Whitlock
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Mark Walsh
Losers £1,250
Final
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Robert Thornton
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500