PAUL NICHOLSON has retained his DPA Australian Matchplay title with a win over Steve Macarthur.
Nicholson was victorious at the Italo Club in Canberra with an 8-5 defeat of Macarthur in the final to win the Australian Matchplay for a second successive year.
He had overcome Shane Tichowitsch 7-4 in the semi-finals, whitewashed Brian Roach 6-0 in the quarters and also defeated Rod Crawford and Jason Mudge earlier in the event.
Macarthur, a qualifier for the 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, overcame Russell Stewart 6-1 in the quarter-finals and Dave Fitzpatrick 7-3 in the semis.
Nicholson had made it a weekend double after claiming victory in a non-ranked event on Saturday with a 6-1 win over Anthony Fleet.
Nicholson had won the opening ranking event of 2009 in January at Punchbowl and now sits clear at the top of the DPA Order of Merit.
He returns to the UK at the end of February to compete during March on the PDC Pro Tour has he bids to follow his success in reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championship on the circuit.
DPA Australian Matchplay
Last 16
Brian Roach 5-3 Dave Muller
Paul Nicholson 5-3 Rod Crawford
Barry Jouannet 5-4 Rod Neeson
Shane Tichowitsch 5-0 Eddy Luckwell
Russell Stewart 5-4 Stan Mortutere
Steve Macarthur 5-3 Phil Botterill
Dave Fitzpatrick 5-3 Greg Lestrange
Arnel Galvez 5-4 Jamie Browne
Losers $100
Quarter-Finals
Paul Nicholson 6-0 Brian Roach
Shane Tichowitsch 6-4 Barry Jouannet
Steve Macarthur 6-1 Russell Stewart
Dave Fitzpatrick 6-2 Arnel Galvez
Losers $200
Semi-Finals
Paul Nicholson 7-4 Shane Tichowitsch
Steve Macarthur 7-3 Dave Fitzpatrick
Losers $375
Final
Paul Nicholson 8-5 Steve Macarthur
Winner $1,500
Runner-Up $750