PDC Players Championship- 14

BRENDAN DOLAN has won his maiden ranking title, defeating emerging star Ricky Evans 6-3 to take victory in Players Championship 13 in Wigan.
The Northern Irish star ended an 11-year wait for a professional victory with triumph in his eighth ranking final, following up last weekend's run to the decider at the Dutch Darts Masters by taking the £10,000 first prize in Wigan.

Dolan, the 2011 World Grand Prix finalist, had lost out to a brilliant Kim Huybrechts performance in Holland six days earlier, but produced a super-show of his own to defeat youngster Evans to win the Players Championship.

He dropped only three legs in his opening three games in Wigan, seeing off Dan Russell, Dean Winstanley and Vincent van der Voort to reach the quarter-finals, where he was a narrow 6-5 winner against Kevin McDine.

Dolan then swept past Austria's Mensur Suljovic 6-1 in the semi-finals, taking the opening five legs without reply, and produced a superb performance in the decider as Evans was denied his first victory.

Dolan took the final's opening leg in 14 darts, finishing 85 on tops, before Evans finished 72 and 82 to win the next two in 15 darts to take a 2-1 lead, which was extended to 3-1 when he finished double ten.

Dolan, though, finished a huge 160 - with Evans waiting on 28 - to reply in a pivotal leg five, and then hit double 18 for a 14-darter to level the contest, and took out double four to regain the advantage at 4-3.

He then hit a 180 in another 14-darter to move 5-3 up, before adding a maximum in an 11-dart leg to secure the first win of his career.

Kettering's Evans, 23, picked up £5,000 as the runner-up in his first senior final as he enjoyed his best run so far on the PDC ProTour since winning a Tour Card in January.

The World Youth Championship finalist overcame Colin Osborne in the first round, saw off Ian Walters and then defeated both Gary Anderson and Ronnie Baxter 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

There, he squeezed past Jamie Caven 6-5 before ending Ian White's bid for a second ranking title with a 6-1 victory in the semi-finals, but had to set for the runner-up prize in the final outcome.

White overcame Campbell Jackson, Michael Barnard, Darren Webster and Stoke rival Mark Frost in his run to the last four, while Austrian ace Suljovic defeated Michael Mansell, Steve Farmer, Stuart Kellett, William O'Connor and Jamie Lewis in his run to the last four.

Runs to the quarter-finals for McDine and Frost saw them - alongside Evans and Suljovic - improve their hopes of securing qualifying spots in the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship at the end of the year.

The PDC ProTour weekend in Wigan continues on Sunday with Players Championship 14, before Monday sees the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts Wildcard Qualifier take place at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, where almost 190 players will compete for four places in Wolverhampton.

Players Championship 13
Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan - Saturday November 2 2013
First Round
Jamie Caven (1) Bye
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Alan Derrett
Marc Dewsbury 6-5 John Bowles (32)
Josh Payne 6-5 James Richardson
Arron Monk (16) 6-5 Keegan Brown
Nick Fullwell 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Michael Smith (17) 6-4 Stephen Hardy
Terry Temple 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Gary Anderson (8) 6-1 Andrew Howarth
Paul Amos 6-3 Colin Fowler
Ricky Evans 6-4 Colin Osborne (25)
Ian Walters 6-2 Sam Hill
Ronnie Baxter (9) 6-1 Ricky Sudale
Joey Palfreyman 6-5 Paddy Meaney
Dennis Smith (24) 6-2 Mark Hylton
Pete Dyos 6-1 James Hubbard
Ian White (5) Bye
Campbell Jackson 6-4 Steve Grubb
John Henderson (28) 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Michael Barnard 6-1 Paul Barham
Colin Lloyd (12) 6-2 Matt Clark
Ian Moss 6-4 Jerry Hendriks
Darren Webster (21) 6-5 Kevin Dowling
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Max Hopp
Paul Nicholson (4) Bye
Peter Hudson 6-4 John Scott
Scott Rand (29) 6-3 Jyhan Artut
Mark Frost 6-3 Richie Howson
Richie Burnett (13) 6-5 Johnny Haines
Andy Jenkins 6-3 Simon Burt
Steve Maish 6-2 Joe Cullen (20)
Alan Tabern 6-4 Adam Hunt
Steve Beaton (2) Bye
Jim Walker 6-1 Barrie Bates
Magnus Caris 6-1 Ross Smith (31)
David Pallett 6-0 Matthew Dicken
Alex Roy 6-3 Mark Walsh (15)
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Prakash Jiwa
Jamie Lewis (18) 6-1 Vernon Sheppard
Mark Jones 6-4 Gaz Cousins
Stuart Kellett (7) Bye
Adrian Gray 6-3 Mark Lawrence
Mensur Suljovic (26) 6-4 Michael Mansell
Steve Farmer 6-5 Darren Johnson
Wayne Jones (10) 6-2 Reece Robinson
William O'Connor 6-3 Joe Murnan
Ronny Huybrechts (23) 6-2 Ryan De Vreede
Connie Finnan 6-4 Leo Hendriks
Brendan Dolan (6) Bye
Dan Russell 6-5 Keith Stephen
Dean Winstanley (27) 6-5 David Copley
Darron Brown 6-3 Bernd Roith
Andy Smith (11) 6-3 Jake Patchett
Shaun Griffiths 6-5 Brian Woods
Vincent van der Voort (22) 6-3 Mick Todd
Steve West 6-3 Jon Jukes
John Part (3) Bye
Darren Whittingham 6-5 Gino Vos
Steve Brown (30) 6-5 Ryan Harrington
Roland Scholten 6-3 Keith Rooney
Kevin McDine 6-5 Jelle Klaasen (14)
Mark Forman 6-2 Michael Blake
Steve Hine 6-4 Mark Webster (19)
Mark Cox 6-3 Matthew Dennant

Second Round
Jamie Caven 6-4 Matthew Edgar
Marc Dewsbury 6-3 Josh Payne
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Arron Monk
Michael Smith 6-1 Terry Temple
Gary Anderson 6-2 Paul Amos
Ricky Evans 6-4 Ian Walters
Ronnie Baxter 6-5 Joey Palfreyman
Pete Dyos 6-3 Dennis Smith
Ian White 6-2 Campbell Jackson
Michael Barnard 6-4 John Henderson
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Ian Moss
Darren Webster 6-3 Nigel Heydon
Paul Nicholson 6-0 Peter Hudson
Mark Frost 6-4 Scott Rand
Richie Burnett 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Alan Tabern 6-4 Steve Maish
Steve Beaton 6-3 Jim Walker
Magnus Caris 6-3 David Pallett
Alex Roy 6-4 Chris Aubrey
Jamie Lewis 6-1 Mark Jones
Stuart Kellett 6-5 Adrian Gray
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Steve Farmer
William O'Connor 6-4 Wayne Jones
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Connie Finnan
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Dan Russell
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Darron Brown
Andy Smith 6-0 Shaun Griffiths
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Steve West
John Part 6-3 Darren Whittingham
Steve Brown 6-4 Roland Scholten
Kevin McDine 6-4 Mark Forman
Mark Cox 6-4 Steve Hine
Losers £250

Third Round
Jamie Caven 6-2 Marc Dewsbury
Nick Fullwell 6-2 Michael Smith
Ricky Evans 6-2 Gary Anderson
Ronnie Baxter 6-1 Pete Dyos
Ian White 6-1 Michael Barnard
Darren Webster 6-0 Colin Lloyd
Mark Frost 6-5 Paul Nicholson
Richie Burnett 6-4 Alan Tabern
Steve Beaton 6-0 Magnus Caris
Jamie Lewis 6-3 Alex Roy
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Stuart Kellett
William O'Connor 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Brendan Dolan 6-0 Dean Winstanley
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Andy Smith
Steve Brown 6-5 John Part
Kevin McDine 6-0 Mark Cox
Losers £500

Fourth Round
Jamie Caven 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Ricky Evans 6-2 Ronnie Baxter
Ian White 6-5 Darren Webster
Mark Frost 6-4 Richie Burnett
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Steve Beaton
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 William O'Connor
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Kevin McDine 6-4 Steve Brown
Losers £1,000

Quarter-Finals
Ricky Evans 6-5 Jamie Caven
Ian White 6-0 Mark Frost
Mensur Suljovic 6-0 Jamie Lewis
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Kevin McDine
Losers £1,500

Semi-Finals
Ricky Evans 6-1 Ian White
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
Losers £2,500

Final
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Ricky Evans
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000

Final Match Stats

Ricky Evans	3-6	Brendan Dolan
13	100+	11
6	140+	10
0	170+	0
0	180	2
92.55	Average	101.57
82	High Finish	160
1	Breaks of Throw	2