Emotional Ross Smith claims Players Championship 29 triumph

An emotional Ross Smith denied Josh Rock to secure his second ProTour title of 2025 at Players Championship 29 in Leicester on Wednesday.

Just days after withdrawing from the Swiss Darts Trophy due to a family bereavement, Smith underlined his resilience by taking the title at the Mattioli Arena.

The former European Champion registered four ton-plus averages en route to the £15,000 title, reeling off three legs on the spin to edge past Rock in a decider.

The win follows up Smith’s Players Championship 16 success in May, and the Kent thrower was visibly emotional as he embraced Rock after landing the winning double.

It was Rock who established an early 2-0 lead in the final, before Smith landed 13-darters in four of the next five legs to move 4-3 in front.

Rock took out 90 to restore parity, before following in with a 121 checkout to break throw and regain the upper-hand.

The World Cup of Darts winner moved two clear before Smith hit back with another 13-darter on double 16 to trail 6-5.

An 11-darter from Rock moved him to within a leg of victory but Smith dug deep with legs of 14 and 12 darters to send it all the way.

A timely eighth maximum saw Smith gain control of the deciding leg, and though Rock landed a 180 of his own on his way to leaving tops, the Englishman produced a nerveless 118 checkout to snatch victory.

Smith’s route to glory began with a 104 average as he saw off Berry van Peer 6-4, before overcoming Jamai van den Herik and Lukas Wenig for the combined loss of just three legs.

He then registered a sensational 106 average to whitewash Michael van Gerwen in the Last 16, before seeing off Ryan Meikle 6-4 and thrashing Wessel Nijman 7-3 with a 105 average to book his place in the final.

Rock produced the day’s only nine-darter during his Third Round win over Wesley Plaisier, and he went on to defeat two further Dutchmen – Dirk van Duijvenbode and Danny Noppert – to reach the semi-finals.

There, he enjoyed a 7-4 success against Gary Anderson – claiming the game’s decisive only break of throw in leg four – but was denied a second Players Championship title of the season by the narrowest of margins.

Nathan Aspinall’s first round defeat to Darius Labanauskas means he remains outside of the provisional qualification spots for the Players Championship Finals, alongside Van Gerwen and Luke Littler.

Players Championship 29 Results

Wednesday October 1

First Round
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Nick Kenny 6-5 Thibault Tricole
Rob Cross 6-3 Sebastian Bialecki
Patrick Geeraets 6-4 Adam Lipscombe
Ian White 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Max Hopp 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Jelle Klaasen 6-2 Ryan Searle
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Greg Ritchie
Ross Smith 6-4 Berry van Peer
Jamai van den Herik 6-2 Richard Veenstra
Haupai Puha 6-4 Joe Cullen
Lukas Wenig 6-3 Tytus Kanik
Damon Heta 6-3 Viktor Tingstrom
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Matthew Dennant
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-4 Thomas Lovely
Martin Schindler 6-4 Florian Hempel
Martin Lukeman 6-0 Kai Gotthardt
Matt Campbell 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Darren Beveridge 6-3 Stephen Burton
Wessel Nijman 6-4 Adam Warner
Jitse Van der Wal 6-5 Pero Ljubic
Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Maximilian Czerwinski
Connor Scutt 6-1 Dominik Gruellich
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Michael Smith
Adam Hunt 6-1 Jim Williams
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Scott Williams 6-1 Alan Soutar
Chris Dobey 6-3 Scott Waites
Jack Tweddell 6-0 Kim Huybrechts
Mike De Decker 6-3 Owen Bates
Dom Taylor 6-5 Leon Weber
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Cor Dekker
Darryl Pilgrim 6-2 James Hurrell
William O’Connor 6-0 George Killington
Callan Rydz 6-0 Rob Owen
Darius Labanauskas 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Andy Baetens 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven
Gary Anderson 6-2 Adam Paxton
Chris Landman 6-5 Ricky Evans
Luke Humphries 6-1 Justin Hood
Bradley Brooks 6-4 Dennie Olde Kalter
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Marvin van Velzen
Brett Claydon 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Cameron Menzies 6-2 Jim Long
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Ted Evetts
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Dylan Slevin
Robert Grundy 6-1 Stefan Bellmont
Josh Rock 6-1 Tavis Dudeney
Andy Boulton 6-2 Stefaan Henderyck
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Wesley Plaisier 6-2 Christian Kist
James Wade 6-3 Keane Barry
Mervyn King 6-4 Madars Razma
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Nathan Rafferty
Peter Wright 6-3 Danny Lauby
Gian van Veen 6-3 Benjamin Reus
Cam Crabtree 6-4 Kevin Doets
Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Steve Lennon 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Danny Noppert 6-4 Rhys Griffin
Radek Szaganski 6-1 Michele Turetta
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Niko Springer
Tom Bissell 6-1 Martijn Dragt

Second Round
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Nick Kenny
Patrick Geeraets 6-4 Rob Cross
Ian White 6-4 Max Hopp
Ryan Meikle 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Ross Smith 6-2 Jamai van den Herik
Lukas Wenig 6-2 Haupai Puha
Damon Heta 6-2 Gabriel Clemens
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Jeffrey De Graaf
Martin Schindler 6-1 Martin Lukeman
Darren Beveridge 6-1 Matt Campbell
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Jitse Van der Wal
Connor Scutt 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Adam Hunt
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Scott Williams
Chris Dobey 6-0 Jack Tweddell
Mike De Decker 6-5 Dom Taylor
Darryl Pilgrim 6-5 Gerwyn Price
William O’Connor 6-5 Callan Rydz
Andy Baetens 6-3 Darius Labanauskas
Gary Anderson 6-2 Chris Landman
Luke Humphries 6-4 Bradley Brooks
Daryl Gurney 6-1 Brett Claydon
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Robert Grundy
Josh Rock 6-3 Andy Boulton
Wesley Plaisier 6-0 Ricardo Pietreczko
James Wade 6-5 Mervyn King
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-0 Peter Wright
Gian van Veen 6-4 Cam Crabtree
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Steve Lennon
Danny Noppert 6-5 Radek Szaganski
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Tom Bissell

Last 32
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Patrick Geeraets
Ryan Meikle 6-2 Ian White
Ross Smith 6-1 Lukas Wenig
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Damon Heta
Martin Schindler 6-2 Darren Beveridge
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Connor Scutt
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Mike De Decker 6-3 Chris Dobey
Darryl Pilgrim 6-3 William O’Connor
Gary Anderson 6-2 Andy Baetens
Luke Humphries 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Josh Rock 6-3 Wesley Plaisier – *Rock hits a nine-darter*
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 James Wade
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Gian van Veen
Danny Noppert 6-3 Mensur Suljovic

Last 16
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Ross Smith 6-0 Michael van Gerwen
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Martin Schindler
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Mike De Decker
Gary Anderson 6-5 Darryl Pilgrim
Luke Humphries 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Josh Rock 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Danny Noppert 6-2 Niels Zonneveld

Quarter-Finals
Ross Smith 6-4 Ryan Meikle
Wessel Nijman 6-0 Jonny Clayton
Gary Anderson 6-5 Luke Humphries
Josh Rock 6-2 Danny Noppert

Semi-Finals
Ross Smith 7-3 Wessel Nijman
Josh Rock 7-4 Gary Anderson

Final
Ross Smith 8-7 Josh Rock