Henry Coates clinches historic Players Championship 25 title
Henry Coates claimed a maiden PDC ranking title at Players Championship 25 with an 8-4 victory over Damon Heta in the final in Hildesheim on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old became only the fifth player to secure a PDC ranking title without holding a Tour Card as he swept through the field at Halle 39.
Coates – who came into the event as a Challenge Tour top-up – surpassed his recent run to a Players Championship semi-final as he scooped the £15,000 top prize in dream fashion.
“This probably won’t sink in until next week,” admitted Coates, who joins Joe Murnan, Krzysztof Ratajski, Scott Williams and most recently Wesley Plaisier in October 2024 as a non-Tour Card Holder to win a PDC ranking title.
“Hopefully this is just the start. I’ve played for so many years and now the hard work and practice is paying off.
“Last time I played Damon it was my second ProTour event, just after I had won my first ProTour game, and I think he taught me a lesson beating me 6-0!
“I’m only a Challenge Tour player, but I’ll take what I’ve got!”
The emerging star began the final with a 12-darter, before Heta responded with a 12-darter of his own and incredible 164 checkout.
The Australian number one struck seven perfect darts before capping off a ten-darter to level proceedings again, before both players recorded another four-leg visit each – including a 130 finish from Heta – to keep the contest level.
A third ton-plus finish in four legs for Heta kept the scores locked at 4-4, before Coates began to create daylight with a 12-dart break of throw to go two legs away from the title.
The young Englishman then took out a magnificent 88 checkout on the bullseye to create history in Hildesheim, finishing the match with a remarkable 104.88 average.
Earlier this year, Coates had reached the semi-final of Players Championship 20, where he missed three darts at tops against Ross Smith to seal his spot in the final.
Smith capitalised and won the last-leg decider before going on to win the title, but Coates admitted that his run to the last four in June was a crucial learning curve.
“That run last month gave me the confidence to know I’ve got the game to be here,” added Coates, who ranks 12th on the Challenge Tour rankings and 20th on the Development Tour.
“Winning this now gives me even more confidence, and it’s a stepping stone in the right direction.
“I’ve now won a ProTour so we will see what comes next.
“To now have this title and hit that bull – I’m overwhelmed.”
Coates kicked off his campaign with victory over Poland’s Filip Bereza, before recording consecutive deciding-leg wins over Karel Sedlacek and Mervyn King.
In the Last 16, the youngster stepped up his game, averaging over 104 to see off Bradley Brooks 6-4, before blistering beyond Christian Kist 6-0 with a 106 average to reach a second Players Championship semi-final of the year.
There, Coates comfortably saw off Swedish number one Jeffrey de Graaf 7-3 to reach a maiden ProTour final.
Heta, meanwhile, was denied a first ProTour title of the year despite averaging in excess of 106 in the final.
The Australian ace won six of the last seven legs to defeat Dennie Olde Kalter 6-3, before dispatching Ted Evetts to reach the Last 32.
Heta then averaged just shy of a ton to defeat Richard Veenstra 6-3, followed by a 6-4 triumph over Krzysztof Ratajski to reach a first Players Championship quarter-final of the year.
The former World Cup winner then took care of the in-form Kevin Doets 6-2 with a stellar 105 average, before putting out Niko Springer 7-4 to reach a first ProTour final since last October.
Springer had reached a second ProTour semi-final of the year with wins over Cam Crabtree, Beau Greaves and a whitewash of James Hurrell in the quarter-finals.
De Graaf also had a strong day in reaching the semi-finals, recording 103 and 106 averages against Scott Williams and Michael van Gerwen respectively along the way.
Despite falling at the quarter-finals, Doets produced four ton-plus averages in his four victories, including three averages in excess of 108 against Jenson Walker, Justin Hood and Cristo Reyes.
Christian Kist, Max Hopp and James Hurrell rounded out the quarter-finalists, with Hurrell averaging north of 102 in seeing off Dave Chisnall in round three.
Top seed Wessel Nijman crashed out in the opening round at the hands of Darryl Pilgrim, while recent World Matchplay semi-finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode also fell at the first hurdle to Sietse Lap.
Players Championship 25 Results
Tuesday July 28
First Round
Darryl Pilgrim 6-3 Wessel Nijman
Michael Smith 6-4 Greg Ritchie
Rob Owen 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-5 Radek Szaganski
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Marvin van Velzen 6-1 Stephen Rosney
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Tytus Kanik
James Hurrell 6-3 Dominik Gruellich
William O’Connor 6-0 Arno Merk
Lewis Pride 6-5 Alan Soutar
Beau Greaves 6-2 Chris Landman
Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Harry Ward
Niko Springer 6-4 Cam Crabtree
Marvin Kraft 6-4 Florian Preis
Tavis Dudeney 6-4 Madars Razma
Joe Hunt 6-5 Martijn Dragt
Kevin Doets 6-0 Jenson Walker
Jurjen van der Velde 6-3 Thibault Tricole
Steve Lennon 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Justin Hood 6-4 Callan Rydz
Nick Kenny 6-4 Martin Schindler
David Sharp 6-0 Scott Waites
Cristo Reyes 6-0 Pero Ljubic
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2 Daniel Ayres
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Adam Lipscombe
Oskar Lukasiak 6-4 Levy Frauenfelder
Pascal Rupprecht 6-3 Mike De Decker
Alexander Merkx 6-3 Jack Tweddell
Damon Heta 6-3 Dennie Olde Kalter
Ted Evetts 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Richard Veenstra 6-2 Martin Lukeman
Niall Culleton 6-1 Matthias Ehlers
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Thomas Lovely
Adam Paxton 6-5 Peter Wright
Tom Bissell 6-2 Adam Gawlas
Bradley Brooks 6-1 Nathan Potter
Stefaan Henderyck 6-5 Sebastian Bialecki
Mervyn King 6-4 Adam Leek
Karel Sedlacek 6-3 Stefan Bellmont
Henry Coates 6-4 Filip Bereza
Gian van Veen 6-3 Tom Sykes
Jim Long 6-5 Kai Gotthardt
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Stephen Burton
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Keane Barry
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Ricky Evans
Christian Kist 6-4 Andy Boulton
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-1 Yorick Hofkens
Christopher Wickenden 6-5 Daniel Klose
Chris Dobey 6-1 Maximilian Czerwinski
Jimmy van Schie 6-0 Carl Sneyd
Gilbert van der Meijden 6-3 Lukas Wenig
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Tommy Morris
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Adam Warner
Darius Labanauskas 6-3 Leon Weber
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-3 Scott Williams
Shane McGuirk 6-2 Charlie Manby
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Cor Dekker
Tyler Thorpe 6-4 Connor Scutt
Max Hopp 6-3 Owen Bates
Samuel Price 6-3 Viktor Tingstrom
Sietse Lap 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Oliver Mitchell 6-5 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Rhys Griffin 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
Benjamin Pratnemer 6-3 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Second Round
Darryl Pilgrim 6-2 Michael Smith
Rob Owen 6-4 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Marvin van Velzen
James Hurrell 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Lewis Pride 6-3 William O’Connor
Beau Greaves 6-2 Wesley Plaisier
Niko Springer 6-5 Marvin Kraft
Joe Hunt 6-3 Tavis Dudeney
Kevin Doets 6-2 Jurjen van der Velde
Justin Hood 6-1 Steve Lennon
David Sharp 6-3 Nick Kenny
Cristo Reyes 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Oskar Lukasiak
Alexander Merkx 6-2 Pascal Rupprecht
Damon Heta 6-2 Ted Evetts
Richard Veenstra 6-3 Niall Culleton
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Adam Paxton
Bradley Brooks 6-2 Tom Bissell
Mervyn King 6-5 Stefaan Henderyck
Henry Coates 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Jim Long 6-3 Gian van Veen
Mickey Mansell 6-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Christian Kist 6-3 Niels Zonneveld
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 Christopher Wickenden
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Gilbert van der Meijden
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Darius Labanauskas
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-4 Shane McGuirk
Tyler Thorpe 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Max Hopp 6-2 Samuel Price
Sietse Lap 6-0 Oliver Mitchell
Benjamin Pratnemer 6-5 Rhys Griffin
Last 32
Darryl Pilgrim 6-4 Rob Owen
James Hurrell 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Beau Greaves 6-1 Lewis Pride
Niko Springer 6-4 Joe Hunt
Cristo Reyes 6-2 David Sharp
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Alexander Merkx
Damon Heta 6-3 Richard Veenstra
Bradley Brooks 6-0 Jermaine Wattimena
Henry Coates 6-5 Mervyn King
Jim Long 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Christian Kist 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Chris Dobey
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Max Hopp 6-3 Tyler Thorpe
Sietse Lap 6-5 Benjamin Pratnemer
Last 16
James Hurrell 6-4 Darryl Pilgrim
Niko Springer 6-3 Beau Greaves
Kevin Doets 6-1 Cristo Reyes
Damon Heta 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Henry Coates 6-4 Bradley Brooks
Christian Kist 6-5 Jim Long
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Max Hopp 6-0 Sietse Lap
Quarter-Finals
Niko Springer 6-0 James Hurrell
Damon Heta 6-2 Kevin Doets
Henry Coates 6-0 Christian Kist
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-1 Max Hopp
Quarter-Finals
Damon Heta 7-4 Niko Springer
Henry Coates 7-3 Jeffrey De Graaf
Final
Henry Coates 8-4 Damon Heta
