WORLD NUMBER THREE James Wade picked up his first title of 2008 with a 3-1 win over Denis Ovens in the final of the StanJames.com Players Championship in Gibraltar on Sunday.
The PDC Player of the Year won three non-televised tournaments in 2007, and bounced back in style from a first-game loss in Saturday's Players Championship to take the £5,000 winner's cheque 24 hours later.
He never looked in trouble after taking a 2-0 lead against Ovens in the final, and though he lost the third set without reply won the fourth 2-1, thanks in part to two maximums and a 177 score which left his opponent trailing.
Wade had sailed close to the wind in his semi-final against Mervyn King, who pushed him all the way after Alex Roy had earlier been dispatched in straight legs in the quarter-finals.
Ovens, the runner-up in last weekend's Blue Square UK Open North-East Regional Final, continued his good start to the year by seeing off McDine in another close semi-final.
McDine led the deciding set of their game before Ovens took out 121 on the bullseye to level and then 105 on double 16 for the win.
He had also been pushed all the way by John Ferrell in the last eight, and also overcame Steve Cusick, Dennis Smith, Andy Smith and Terry Jenkins.
King produced some superb form during his run to the last four, coming from 2-1 down against Jamie Caven in the last 32 and also becoming the first player for almost two months to defeat new World Champion John Part.
King also saw off Kevin Painter with a ten-darter in the final leg of their game, one of four he landed during the day.
Steve Beaton reached a second successive quarter-final, and was joined in the last eight by John Ferrell, who also made the last eight a week ago in Gateshead.
StanJames.com Players Championship
Preliminary Round
Ian Jopling 3-1 Nigel Peden
Dave Askew 3-2 Wayne Atwood
Kevin McDine 3-2 Dave Smith
Chris Mason 3-1 Dave Honey
Robert Watson-Lang 3-0 Ian Eames
John MaGowan 3-1 Colin Osborne
Colin Monk 3-2 Danny King
John Quantock 3-0 Dave Ladley
Steve Beaton 3-1 Ricky Williams
Jim Leighton 3-0 Antonio Munoz Ramos
Gary Mawson 3-1 Raul Rodriguez
Mick McGowan 3-1 Darren Johnson
Kevin Dowling 3-0 Graeme Stoddart
Simon Craven 3-1 Dylan Duo
Bob Anderson 3-0 Tom Wilson
Paul Knighton 3-0 Justin Broton
Alan Tabern 3-0 Ken Dobson
Owen Caffrey 3-0 Glen Camerson
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Bob Crawley
John Ferrell 3-0 Rico Vonck
Darren Latham 3-0 Eric Segui
Wayne Jones 3-0 Paul Wills
Steve Hine 3-0 Israel Priego
Denis Ovens 3-0 Steve Cusick
Dennis Smith 3-0 Ian Branks
Andy Smith 3-0 Jason Crawley
Chris Thompson 3-0 Kevin Hill
Darrell Thorpe 3-1 Chris Sargeant
Steve Maish 3-0 Stefan Federico
Mark Lawrence 3-2 Dyson Parody
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Mario Aguis
Shane Passey 3-2 Lee White
Kirk Shepherd 3-0 Kevin Fletcher
Steve Smith 3-1 Andy Mason
Alan Caves 3-1 Jon Archer
Mark Walsh 3-1 Jonathan Overton
Alan Kimberley 3-0 Henry Zapata
Peter Manley 3-0 Steve Grubb
Matt Clark 3-2 Julio Balbaro
Alex Roy Bye (Jose Alcantara)
Steve Brown 3-1 Daniel Sare
Alan Green 3-1 Ben Burton
Adrian Gray 3-2 Tony Ayres
Nick Fulwell Bye (Juan Perea)
Kevin Painter 3-2 Lionel Sams
George Federico 3-0 Nick Chadwick
Wes Newton 3-2 Carlos Rodriguez
Kevin Harris 3-0 Michael van Gerwen
Tony Eccles 3-1 Martyn Turner
Alan Warriner-Little Bye (Gary Welding Withdrawn)
Jason Barry 3-0 Danny Peach
Jamie Caven 3-1 Andy Jenkins
Martin Burchell 3-2 Sean Palfrey
Mervyn King 3-0 Ruben Santiago
Jelle Klaasen 3-0 Mark Layton
Round One
Andy Hamilton 3-0 Ian Jopling
Kevin McDine 3-0 Dave Askew
Chris Mason 3-2 Robert Watson-Lang
John MaGowan 3-1 Colin Monk
Colin Lloyd 3-2 John Quantock
Steve Beaton 3-0 Jim Leighton
Gary Mawson Bye (Barrie Bates)
Mick McGowan 3-2 Kevin Dowling
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Simon Craven
Bob Anderson 3-1 Paul Knighton
Alan Tabern 3-2 Owen Caffrey
John Ferrell 3-2 Vincent van der Voort
Terry Jenkins 3-0 Darren Latham
Steve Hine 3-1 Wayne Jones
Denis Ovens 3-1 Dennis Smith
Andy Smith 3-2 Chris Thompson
James Wade 3-0 Darrell Thorpe
Mark Lawrence 3-1 Steve Maish
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Shane Passey
Kirk Shepherd 3-0 Steve Smith
Wayne Mardle 3-2 Alan Caves
Mark Walsh 3-0 Alan Kimberley
Matt Clark 3-1 Peter Manley
Alex Roy 3-0 Steve Brown
Alan Green 3-2 Roland Scholten
Adrian Gray 3-1 Nick Fulwell
Kevin Painter 3-0 George Federico
Wes Newton 3-2 Kevin Harris
John Part 3-1 Tony Eccles
Alan Warriner-Little 3-1 Jason Barry
Jamie Caven 3-2 Martin Burchell
Mervyn King 3-2 Jelle Klaasen
Losers £75
Round Two
Kevin McDine 3-0 Andy Hamilton
Chris Mason 3-1 John MaGowan
Steve Beaton 3-1 Colin Lloyd
Gary Mawson 3-0 Mick McGowan
Adrian Lewis 3-1 Bob Anderson
John Ferrell 3-2 Alan Tabern
Terry Jenkins 3-1 Steve Hine
Denis Ovens 3-1 Andy Smith
James Wade 3-1 Mark Lawrence
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Kirk Shepherd
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Mark Walsh
Alex Roy 3-2 Matt Clark
Adrian Gray 3-2 Alan Green
Kevin Painter 3-1 Wes Newton
John Part 3-2 Alan Warriner-Little
Mervyn King 3-2 Jamie Caven
Losers £150
Round Three
Kevin McDine 3-0 Chris Mason
Steve Beaton 3-0 Gary Mawson
John Ferrell 3-1 Adrian Lewis
Denis Ovens 3-1 Terry Jenkins
James Wade 3-1 Mark Dudbridge
Alex Roy 3-2 Wayne Mardle
Kevin Painter 3-0 Adrian Gray
Mervyn King 3-2 John Part
Losers £300
Quarter-Finals
Kevin McDine 3-0 Steve Beaton
Denis Ovens 3-2 John Ferrell
James Wade 3-0 Alex Roy
Mervyn King 3-2 Kevin Painter
Losers £600
Semi-Finals
Denis Ovens 3-2 Kevin McDine
James Wade 3-2 Mervyn King
Losers £1,250
Final
James Wade 3-1 Denis Ovens (2-1, 2-0, 0-2, 2-1)
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500
Picture courtesy Chris Sargeant/PDPA