Ryan Searle seals second title of 2025 at Players Championship 28
Ryan Searle sealed his second ProTour title of the year at Players Championship 28 with a battling win over Mario Vandenbogaerde in the final in Leicester on Tuesday.
Searle, who claimed the Players Championship 4 title back in February, doubled his tally for the season after reeling off three straight legs to deny Vandenbogaerde a landmark first PDC title.
Searle kick-started his run to glory by defeating European Champion Ritchie Edhouse 6-4, before claiming a routine 6-2 victory over Dutch youngster Jamai van Den Herik.
The Somerset star put in another impressive performance in the Last 32 as he edged past 2023 World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall in a last-leg decider, before securing two more narrow victories over Karel Sedlaceck and Darren Beveridge to set up a tie with Kevin Doets in the semi-finals.
It was there that Searle produced an inspired comeback to book his spot in the final, reeling off four legs in a row to seal a 7-4 win over the Dutchman.
A cagey start to the final saw Vandenbogaerde establish a 3-2 lead courtesy of an 80 checkout, and after Searle drew level, the Belgian veteran took out 84 to regain the upper-hand.
Searle responded with a 110 checkout in leg eight and added a 92 finish to edge 5-4 in front, before missed darts at doubles allowed Vandenbogaerde to break and hold for a 6-5 advantage.
A 64 finish for an 11-darter restored parity for Searle, before a 71 finish moved him to the brink of victory – which he sealed in the following leg with a 14-darter.
“It was difficult,” admitted Searle. “I’ve been in really good positions all day and missed a few chances, let people in and made harder work of games than I should have.
“I missed a chance to break in the first leg. I was trying to hold on and I am just happy to get over the line now, really.
“It feels a bit weird to be honest. There have been plenty of times where I have won an event early on in the season and I get to the quarter-finals, I’m playing well and I am already preparing what I’m going to say, but I end up losing.
“It’s cool to finally break that duck and win more than one. The draw opened up for me a bit today, which happens sometimes and it’s normally Chris Dobey’s little trick!”
Vandenbogaerde enjoyed a ground-breaking run to his first PDC ranking final which began with victory over 2023 World Champion Michael Smith.
The 52-year-old followed up with wins over Daryl Gurney and Nick Kenny, before edging past Ross Smith with a 6-5 victory in the Last 16.
He then denied Jermaine Wattimena by the same scoreline after surviving four match darts from the Dutchman, before going on to seal a comfortable 7-3 success over Brendan Dolan.
Doets embarked on a fine run to the semi-finals which included wins over William O’Connor, Haupai Puha, Gerwyn Price, Callan Rydz and Jonny Clayton.
Clayton had been in brilliant form throughout the day, progressing through with wins over Mensur Suljovic, Christian Kist, Krzysztof Ratajski and Wessel Nijman – averaging almost 111 against the latter.
There were also a hat-trick of nine-darters landed on a memorable day at the Mattioli Arena, with recent European Tour event winner Niko Springer achieving perfection in his opening round demolition of Dimitri van den Bergh.
Swiss star Stefan Bellmont then produced the perfect leg in his second round defeat against Nijman, before Adam Hunt landed a nine-darter to wrap up an impressive 6-2 win over Bradley Brooks.
Meanwhile, it was a disappointing day for Luke Humphries and Josh Rock – who both exited in the opening round following defeats to Dolan and Stephen Burton respectively.
Players Championship 28 Results
Tuesday September 30
First Round
Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Ted Evetts
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-4 Benjamin Reus
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Martijn Dragt
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-1 Rob Owen
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Adam Lipscombe
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Ryan Meikle
Maximilian Czerwinski 6-4 Pero Ljubic
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Jose De Sousa
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-3 Michael Smith
Nick Kenny 6-5 Damon Heta
Connor Scutt 6-3 Darryl Pilgrim
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Jeffrey De Graaf
Matthew Dennant 6-2 Rhys Griffin
Ross Smith 6-5 Max Hopp
Graham Hall 6-5 Thibault Tricole
Michele Turetta 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Jitse Van der Wal 6-5 Wesley Plaisier
Madars Razma 6-4 Martin Schindler
Radek Szaganski 6-3 Berry van Peer
Mike De Decker 6-2 Peter Wright
Richard Veenstra 6-3 Adam Paxton
Chris Dobey 6-2 Matt Campbell
Alan Soutar 6-2 George Killington
Lukas Wenig 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Mervyn King 6-3 Ricky Evans
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Luke Humphries
Danny Lauby 6-1 Leon Weber
Scott Waites 6-5 Joe Cullen
Jim Williams 6-4 Jim Long
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Sebastian Bialecki
Dom Taylor 6-3 Owen Bates
Kevin Doets 6-3 William O’Connor
Haupai Puha 6-2 James Hurrell
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Andy Baetens
Keane Barry 6-1 Tavis Dudeney
Steve Lennon 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Callan Rydz 6-4 Stefaan Henderyck
Bradley Brooks 6-4 Gary Anderson
Adam Hunt 6-1 Robert Grundy
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Scott Williams
Adam Warner 6-2 Cor Dekker
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Mensur Suljovic
Christian Kist 6-4 Kai Gotthardt
Niko Springer 6-1 Dimitri Van den Bergh – *Springer hits a nine-darter*
Jack Tweddell 6-1 Dennie Olde Kalter
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Thomas Lovely
Stefan Bellmont 6-5 Tytus Kanik
Andy Boulton 6-5 Rob Cross
Karel Sedlacek 6-1 Tom Bissell
Stephen Burton 6-3 Josh Rock
Greg Ritchie 6-1 Viktor Tingstrom
Ryan Searle 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Jamai van den Herik 6-5 Brett Claydon
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Dylan Slevin
Cam Crabtree 6-3 Chris Landman
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Dominik Gruellich
Florian Hempel 6-5 Marvin van Velzen
Gian van Veen 6-2 Nathan Rafferty
Mickey Mansell 6-2 Martin Lukeman
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Justin Hood
Ian White 6-4 Darius Labanauskas
Danny Noppert 6-3 Patrick Geeraets
Darren Beveridge 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Second Round
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Kim Huybrechts
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Maximilian Czerwinski
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Nick Kenny 6-3 Connor Scutt
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Matthew Dennant
Ross Smith 6-5 Graham Hall
Michele Turetta 6-5 Jitse Van der Wal
Madars Razma 6-1 Radek Szaganski
Richard Veenstra 6-4 Mike De Decker
Chris Dobey 6-4 Alan Soutar
Mervyn King 6-5 Lukas Wenig
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Danny Lauby
Jim Williams 6-3 Scott Waites
Cameron Menzies 6-2 Dom Taylor
Kevin Doets 6-4 Haupai Puha
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Keane Barry
Callan Rydz 6-1 Steve Lennon
Adam Hunt 6-2 Bradley Brooks – *Hunt hits a nine-darter*
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Adam Warner
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Christian Kist
Niko Springer 6-3 Jack Tweddell
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Stefan Bellmont – *Bellmont hits a nine-darter*
Karel Sedlacek 6-3 Andy Boulton
Greg Ritchie 6-4 Stephen Burton
Ryan Searle 6-2 Jamai van den Herik
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Cam Crabtree
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Florian Hempel
Gian van Veen 6-5 Mickey Mansell
Ryan Joyce 6-1 Ian White
Darren Beveridge 6-3 Danny Noppert
Last 32
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-2 Nick Kenny
Ross Smith 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Michele Turetta 6-4 Madars Razma
Richard Veenstra 6-4 Chris Dobey
Brendan Dolan 6-0 Mervyn King
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Jim Williams
Kevin Doets 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Callan Rydz 6-1 Adam Hunt
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Wessel Nijman 6-3 Niko Springer
Karel Sedlacek 6-1 Greg Ritchie
Ryan Searle 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Gian van Veen 6-0 Raymond van Barneveld
Darren Beveridge 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Last 16
Jermaine Wattimena 6-0 Stephen Bunting
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-5 Ross Smith
Michele Turetta 6-3 Richard Veenstra
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Kevin Doets 6-2 Callan Rydz
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Wessel Nijman
Ryan Searle 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Darren Beveridge 6-3 Gian van Veen
Quarter-Finals
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Michele Turetta
Kevin Doets 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Ryan Searle 6-4 Darren Beveridge
Semi-Finals
Mario Vandenbogaerde 7-3 Brendan Dolan
Ryan Searle 7-4 Kevin Doets
Final
Ryan Searle 8-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde
