Raymond van Barneveld rolls back the years to claim Players Championship 5 title
Raymond van Barneveld ended a three-year PDC ranking title drought with victory at Players Championship 5 on Monday, thrashing Stephen Bunting 8-1 in the final.
Van Barneveld, who last picked up a Players Championship title in February 2021 shortly after reversing his decision to retire, returned to the winner’s circle with a memorable success in Hildesheim.
The five-time World Champion produced a masterclass of finishing in the final, converting eight of his ten attempts at doubles to brush aside Bunting.
The 56-year-old had progressed to the quarter-finals in two of the season’s opening four Players Championship events, and he continued his resurgence to secure the £15,000 top prize at Halle 39.
Van Barneveld landed finishes of 86, 71, 61 to race into a 4-0 lead in the final, before Bunting opened his account with a 15-dart hold in leg five.
However, the Dutch legend responded with back-to-back 14-darters to extend his lead to 6-1, and after nailing double 16 in leg eight, he rounded off a stunning victory with another 14-darter on double 18.
“I’m over the moon,” said Van Barneveld. “I’ve been working really hard over the last few months, so I’m really, really happy to see this pay off.
“I’ve dropped two grams in my set-up from 25g to 23g, and over the last week I’ve been playing awesome, just like the old days.
“I’m so focused, so confident with this set-up, and this gives me such a confidence boost.
“I thought it may be too soon to win a title like this, but I really believe I can achieve even more.
“I want to be back in the top 16 of the world. I want to play in all of the major tournaments this year, so this win is a big help for me.”
Barney began his route to glory with convincing wins over Oskar Lukasiak, Jermaine Wattimena and Graham Hall, dropping just six legs in the process.
He then defied a nine-darter from 2023 World Champion Michael Smith to triumph in a high-quality Last 16 tie, landing six of his seven attempts at doubles in a 6-3 success.
Van Barneveld continued his progress with a 6-3 win over James Hurrell in the quarter-finals, before edging out his old adversary Gary Anderson in an epic semi-final showdown.
The pair traded blows in a contest littered with quality, but it was Van Barneveld who emerged victorious despite a 101 average from Anderson – who missed two match darts in a dramatic deciding leg.
Bunting was also unable to halt the Dutchman’s charge, but following an inauspicious start to his ProTour season, the Masters champion backed up his recent big stage exploits with some impressive performances.
The former Lakeside Champion swept aside Ritchie Edhouse and Connor Scutt in the early stages, before whitewashing Kevin Doets with a ton-plus average to book his place in the Last 16.
The 38-year-old then recorded successive 6-2 wins over Ian White and Danny Noppert, while he was forced to fend off a spirited fightback from former European Champion Ross Smith in the semi-finals.
Smith produced a series of consistent displays in his run to the Last Four, where he succumbed alongside Anderson – who landed five ton-plus averages in six matches.
The two-time World Champion averaged 114 to dispatch Daryl Gurney in the Last 16, while also seeing off Niels Zonneveld, Callan Rydz and Peter Wright.
Wright maintained his consistency on the ProTour to advance to a fourth consecutive Players Championship quarter-final, where he was joined by Hurrell, Noppert and his compatriot Cameron Menzies.
Wright’s run included a 6-4 defeat of Michael van Gerwen in the Last 16, making it back-to-back wins over the struggling Dutchman.
Meanwhile, Krzysztof Ratajski produced the performance of the day in Hildesheim, winning his second round clash against Nick Kenny with a 115.35 average – the highest of his PDC career.
Players Championship Five Results
Monday March 18
First Round
Damon Heta 6-5 Darryl Pilgrim
Wesley Plaisier 6-3 Darren Beveridge
Jurjen van der Velde 6-3 Martin Lukeman
James Hurrell 6-4 Robert Grundy
Joe Cullen 6-2 Matthew Dennant
Joshua Richardson 6-5 Benjamin Drue Reus
Gian van Veen 6-3 Haupai Puha
Lee Evans 6-1 Thibault Tricole
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Daniel Klose
Graham Hall 6-3 Paul Krohne
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Oskar Lukasiak
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven
Michael Smith 6-1 Tim Wolters
Stefan Bellmont 6-3 Karel Sedlacek
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Danny Lauby
Florian Hempel 6-3 Graham Usher
Gary Anderson 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Nathan Rafferty
Callan Rydz 6-5 Patrick Geeraets
Keegan Brown 6-4 Jacques Labre
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Brett Claydon
Nick Kenny 6-4 Michele Turetta
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Pascal Rupprecht 6-5 Steve Lennon
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Danny van Trijp
Leighton Bennett 6-5 Madars Razma
Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Radek Szaganski
Thomas Lovely 6-5 Andy Baetens
Peter Wright 6-4 Adam Gawlas
Alan Soutar 6-5 Robert Owen
Lukas Wenig 6-2 Jose De Sousa
John Henderson 6-2 Romeo Grbavac
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Mervyn King
Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Jeffrey De Graaf
Ian White 6-4 Callum Goffin
Steve Beaton 6-2 Arron Monk
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Ritchie Edhouse
Connor Scutt 6-3 Rhys Griffin
Boris Krcmar 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Kevin Doets 6-4 Mensur Suljovic
Danny Noppert 6-0 Martijn Dragt
Stephen Burton 6-0 Robbie Knops
Scott Williams 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Richard Veenstra 6-4 Jamie Hughes
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-3 Ricky Evans
Dylan Slevin 6-5 Jeffrey Sparidaans
James Wade 6-3 Wessel Nijman
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-5 Jules van Dongen
Berry van Peer 6-5 Josh Rock
Chris Landman 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Keane Barry
William O’Connor 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Ross Smith 6-4 Adam Warner
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Dom Taylor
Chris Dobey 6-5 Josh Payne
Adam Hunt 6-4 Owen Roelofs
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Ryan Meikle
George Killington 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Mike De Decker
William Borland 6-3 Richie Burnett
Ryan Searle 6-3 Owen Bates
Danny Jansen 6-2 Reece Colley
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Martin Schindler
Geert Nentjes 6-4 Jitse Van der Wal
Second Round
Damon Heta 6-3 Wesley Plaisier
James Hurrell 6-5 Jurjen van der Velde
Joe Cullen 6-3 Joshua Richardson
Gian van Veen 6-2 Lee Evans
Graham Hall 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Michael Smith 6-0 Stefan Bellmont
Florian Hempel 6-4 Brendan Dolan
Gary Anderson 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Callan Rydz 6-4 Keegan Brown
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Nick Kenny
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Pascal Rupprecht
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Leighton Bennett
Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Thomas Lovely
Peter Wright 6-5 Alan Soutar
John Henderson 6-2 Lukas Wenig
Ronny Huybrechts 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Ian White 6-5 Steve Beaton
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Connor Scutt
Kevin Doets 6-3 Boris Krcmar
Danny Noppert 6-3 Stephen Burton
Scott Williams 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-3 Dylan Slevin
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-3 James Wade
Chris Landman 6-5 Berry van Peer
William O’Connor 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Ross Smith 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
Chris Dobey 6-3 Adam Hunt
Jonny Clayton 6-3 George Killington
Simon Whitlock 6-1 William Borland
Danny Jansen 6-4 Ryan Searle
Cameron Menzies 6-2 Geert Nentjes
Last 32
James Hurrell 6-3 Damon Heta
Joe Cullen 6-4 Gian van Veen
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Graham Hall
Michael Smith 6-2 Florian Hempel
Gary Anderson 6-5 Callan Rydz
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
Peter Wright 6-4 John Henderson
Ian White 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Stephen Bunting 6-0 Kevin Doets
Danny Noppert 6-3 Scott Williams
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-3 Ricardo Pietreczko
William O’Connor 6-5 Chris Landman
Ross Smith 6-3 Chris Dobey
Jonny Clayton 6-0 Simon Whitlock
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Danny Jansen
Last 16
James Hurrell 6-4 Joe Cullen
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Michael Smith – *Smith hits a nine-darter*
Gary Anderson 6-1 Daryl Gurney
Peter Wright 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Ian White
Danny Noppert 6-3 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Ross Smith 6-5 William O’Connor
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Jonny Clayton
Quarter-Finals
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 James Hurrell
Gary Anderson 6-4 Peter Wright
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Danny Noppert
Ross Smith 6-3 Cameron Menzies
Semi-Finals
Raymond van Barneveld 7-6 Gary Anderson
Stephen Bunting 7-5 Ross Smith
Final
Raymond van Barneveld 8-1 Stephen Bunting
