Phil Taylor

Taylor makes winning start to Players' defence

Published: Friday, 29 January 2010, 9:31AM

Phil Taylor began the defence of his totesport.com Players Championship title with victory over Peter Manley as the £250,000 event began on Thursday.

Taylor returned to the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex - the scene of 11 of his 15 World Championship triumphs - to see off old adversary Manley 6-2.

Taylor kicked off the match with a 180 and led 4-0 before Manley threatened a comeback by taking back-to-back legs, before the world number one closed out victory.

"I'll have to improve throughout the tournament but I'm through and that's all that mattered," said Taylor. "At 4-0 I could feel Peter coming back at me but I dug in and ground out the win."

Taylor will now face Terry Jenkins in Saturday's second round, after the world number four came from 5-3 down to defeat Vincent van der Voort 6-5 in their first round clash, hitting a ten-dart finish on his way to a narrow victory.

Adrian Lewis and Andy Hamilton set up an all-Stoke second round game with their victories on the event's opening night in Essex.

Lewis held off a superb comeback from Northern Ireland's Brendan Dolan, who hit back from 3-1 down to force a deciding leg, while Hamilton produced some fine finishing in a 6-4 win over St Helens' Alan Tabern.

Chelmsford's Colin Lloyd edged past Denis Ovens in a deciding leg and now takes on Essex-born Kevin Painter in the last 16.

Painter produced a strong performance in a 6-3 win over Robert Thornton, the Scot who was runner-up in last year's event.

Dennis Priestley, the PDC's first World Champion at the Circus Tavern back in 1994, enjoyed a less successful return to Purfleet, going down 6-2 to Paul Nicholson, who will meet Steve Beaton in round two.

Beaton, another former World Champion, opened his challenge with a 6-2 defeat of Hartlepool's Tony Eccles.

The first round concludes on Friday with the remaining eight games, including the meeting of the players ranked third and fifth in the world, James Wade and Mervyn King.