Canadian Players Championship
17 Aug 2009
Dennis Priestley has retained the Canadian Players Championship title with a 6-4 defeat of Wes Newton.
Priestley claimed the £5,000 title in Canada for a second successive year with an impressive return to action.
The veteran has not competed since the stanjames.com World Matchplay, when he lost in round one to Denis Ovens, but swept aside the field at the Hilton London Ontario.
He whitewashed Shaun Warwick and Ernie Cavanagh in his opening two games before picking up a narrow 6-4 win over Matt Clark.
Priestley then restricted Andy Jenkins and Roland Scholten to a total of three legs in the quarter-finals and semi-finals before denying Newton a first PDC Pro Tour win.
Newton took the opening leg of the final against the throw, before Priestley won three of the next four to lead 3-2, including a 14-darter.
Newton landed two 140s in levelling in the sixth and also hit a maximum and an 81 finish to break throw again and lead 4-3.
Priestley hit two 140s and a 121 checkout in hitting back to level and then held his throw to lead 5-4 - before hitting his first 180 of the game and then a 154 checkout to wrap up victory.
