Nine-dart Gary Anderson makes it back-to-back Players Championship titles
Gary Anderson fired in a nine-darter en route to securing a second successive Players Championship title with an 8-4 win over Josh Rock in the final.
Anderson, who triumphed at Players Championship 24 last month as well as in Hildesheim in March, continued his blistering floor form to take the £12,000 top prize in Barnsley.
The two-time World Champion boasted a tournament average of 101.45 and moves top of the 2023 Players Championship Order of Merit with five events remaining.
After overcoming Damian Mol in his opener, Anderson achieved perfection with a nine-darter in his Second Round clash with Keane Barry, averaging 105 in a 6-2 rout.
The 52-year-old then recorded a monstrous 113 average to topple European Champion Ross Smith, before averaging 108 and 107 in wins over Gerwyn Price and Danny Noppert respectively.
Anderson later recovered from 4-3 down to defy a spirited Jim Williams in the Semi-Finals, which set up a mouth-watering showdown against World Youth Champion Rock for the title.
The Northern Irishman struck first with an immediate break of throw, but Anderson responded with a 121 checkout on the bull, sparking a run of four straight legs for the Scot.
He landed a 110 finish to stretch his lead to 4-1, and though Rock stopped the rot in leg six, Anderson restored his three-leg advantage with a 12-darter.
Rock hit back with 67 and 72 finishes as he threatened to launch a late rally, but Anderson had other ideas, producing an 127 finish in leg ten to regain control at 6-4.
Rock then paid the price for missing two darts at doubles as Anderson moved to the cusp of victory at 7-4, before pinning double four moments later to seal another superb success.
“I’ve got nothing to lose. I just come up and throw darts and they’re going alright,” said Anderson.
“I last played in Leicester two weeks ago. Today is only the second time I’ve thrown since Andrew [Gilding] battered me on that stage!
“I was struggling at the end there. The young boys that do this every day of the week – hats off to them.
“I’m playing well, but I’m not looking too far ahead. I have my odd practice with Ryan [Searle], play in the Players Championships, and if I qualify for anything else in between it’s a bonus.”
Rock reached his fourth Players Championship final of the year, only to be denied a first ranking title since last October.
The 22-year-old battled past Shaun Wilkinson in his opener, and after rallying from 5-3 down to edge out Simon Whitlock, he brushed aside Steve Lennon to secure his place in the Last 16.
There, Rock reeled off six straight legs from 2-0 adrift to demolish Germany’s Daniel Klose, converting 170 and 136 checkouts to triumph with a 107 average.
The World Youth Champion then dumped out Rob Cross in the Last Eight, before denying his fellow countryman Brendan Dolan in an all-Northern Irish Semi-Final.
Like Anderson, Dolan also achieved perfection on a memorable day in Barnsley, producing his second perfect leg of 2023 in his Quarter-Final win over Martijn Kleermaker.
Former World Grand Prix runner-up Dolan also defeated Owen Bates, Dylan Slevin, Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Danny Jansen in reaching the Last Four.
Dolan was joined in the semi-finals by Jim Williams – who saw off Mervyn King and Cam Crabtree in the latter stages of the campaign to record his best showing of the season.
Challenge Tour star Crabtree impressed in progressing to his maiden Players Championship Quarter-Final, with Cross, Noppert and Kleermaker also enjoying runs to the Last Eight.
Players Championship 25 Results
First Round
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Bradley Brooks
Adam Smith-Neale 6-0 Jose Justicia
Callan Rydz 6-1 James Wilson
Karel Sedlacek 6-4 Devon Petersen
Martin Schindler 6-0 Robert Owen
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-0 Ronny Huybrechts
James Wade 6-3 Wesley Plaisier
Martijn Kleermaker 6-1 Keegan Brown
Michael Smith 6-3 Adam Gawlas
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-3 Robbie Knops
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Owen Bates
Dylan Slevin 6-5 Arron Monk
Nick Fullwell 6-1 Krzysztof Ratajski
Danny Jansen 6-3 Jimmy Hendriks
Gabriel Clemens 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Jules van Dongen 6-5 Nathan Rafferty
Josh Rock 6-4 Shaun Wilkinson
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Graham Hall
Gian van Veen 6-1 Ritchie Edhouse
Steve Lennon 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Daniel Klose 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Jacques Labre 6-5 Josh Payne
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Nathan Aspinall
John O’Shea 6-5 Scott Williams
Rob Cross 6-4 Pascal Rupprecht
Niels Zonneveld 6-1 Chris Landman
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Ross Montgomery
Adam Warner 6-5 Berry van Peer
Joe Cullen 6-0 Ted Evetts
Graham Usher 6-4 James Hurrell
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Matt Campbell
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Joe Murnan
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-4 Radek Szaganski
Ryan Joyce 6-3 Christian Kist
Mickey Mansell 6-4 Darius Labanauskas
Gary Anderson 6-3 Damian Mol
Keane Barry 6-4 Tony Martinez
Ross Smith 6-1 Danny van Trijp
Kevin Burness 6-4 Alan Soutar
Danny Noppert 6-2 Kevin Doets
Andy Boulton 6-4 Rowby-John Rodriguez
William O’Connor 6-5 Chris Dobey
Scott Waites 6-4 Ian White
Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Peter Wright
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Florian Hempel
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-5 Jose De Sousa
Ricky Evans 6-1 Brian Raman
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Damon Heta
Cam Crabtree 6-1 Owen Roelofs
Luke Woodhouse 6-5 Jeff Smith
Connor Scutt 6-1 Jurjen van der Velde
Ryan Searle 6-2 Boris Krcmar
Stephen Burton 6-5 Jamie Hughes
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Richard Veenstra
Robert Grundy 6-2 Vladimir Andersen
Nick Kenny 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Jim Williams 6-5 Geert Nentjes
Jamie Clark 6-0 Raymond van Barneveld
Callum Goffin 6-3 Madars Razma
Steve Beaton 6-5 Stephen Bunting
George Killington 6-1 Richie Burnett
Mervyn King 6-0 Mike De Decker
Lee Evans 6-3 Darren Webster
Second Round
Adam Smith-Neale 6-3 Dave Chisnall
Callan Rydz 6-3 Karel Sedlacek
Martin Schindler 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven
Martijn Kleermaker 6-4 James Wade
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-4 Michael Smith
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Dylan Slevin
Danny Jansen 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Jules van Dongen 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
Josh Rock 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Steve Lennon 6-2 Gian van Veen
Daniel Klose 6-5 Jacques Labre
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 John O’Shea
Rob Cross 6-2 Niels Zonneveld
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Adam Warner
Joe Cullen 6-4 Graham Usher
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Ryan Joyce 6-5 Mickey Mansell
Gary Anderson 6-2 Keane Barry – *Anderson hits a nine-darter*
Ross Smith 6-2 Kevin Burness
Danny Noppert 6-5 Andy Boulton
William O’Connor 6-5 Scott Waites
Martin Lukeman 6-2 Kim Huybrechts
Ricky Evans 6-5 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Cam Crabtree 6-4 Cameron Menzies
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Connor Scutt
Stephen Burton 6-1 Ryan Searle
Robert Grundy 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Jim Williams 6-5 Nick Kenny
Jamie Clark 6-3 Callum Goffin
Steve Beaton 6-4 George Killington
Mervyn King 6-5 Lee Evans
Losers: £750
Last 32
Callan Rydz 6-4 Adam Smith-Neale
Martijn Kleermaker 6-4 Martin Schindler
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Danny Jansen 6-5 Jules van Dongen
Josh Rock 6-2 Steve Lennon
Daniel Klose 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Rob Cross 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Joe Cullen 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Ryan Joyce
Gary Anderson 6-1 Ross Smith
Danny Noppert 6-4 William O’Connor
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Ricky Evans
Cam Crabtree 6-4 Luke Woodhouse
Stephen Burton 6-5 Robert Grundy
Jim Williams 6-4 Jamie Clark
Mervyn King 6-5 Steve Beaton
Losers: £1,250
Last 16
Martijn Kleermaker 6-4 Callan Rydz
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Danny Jansen
Josh Rock 6-2 Daniel Klose
Rob Cross 6-5 Joe Cullen
Gary Anderson 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Danny Noppert 6-1 Martin Lukeman
Cam Crabtree 6-4 Stephen Burton
Jim Williams 6-3 Mervyn King
Losers: £2,000
Quarter-Finals
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Martijn Kleermaker *Dolan hits a nine-darter*
Josh Rock 6-3 Rob Cross
Gary Anderson 6-4 Danny Noppert
Jim Williams 6-3 Cam Crabtree
Losers: £3,000
Semi-Finals
Josh Rock 7-5 Brendan Dolan
Gary Anderson 7-5 Jim Williams
Losers: £4,000
Final
Gary Anderson 8-4 Josh Rock
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000
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