Nathan Aspinall returns to winning ways at Players Championship 13

Nathan Aspinall produced an inspired display to claim the Players Championship 13 title in Barnsley with an 8-6 success over Matt Campbell in the final.

The 30-year-old, who has been plagued by a wrist injury since the end of last year, secured his first ranking title for two years to mark a terrific resurgence.

The injury, affecting the tendons in the wrist of his throwing arm, forced Aspinall to take time away from the game at the beginning of the year as he underwent a period of rest and rehabilitation.

But the former UK Open Champion battled through the pain barrier to reach the Semi-Finals of a European Tour event since returning to action, as well as the final of a Players Championship event last weekend, before sealing the £12,000 winners prize against Campbell.

“I feel so emotional, I’ve had a terrible six months with so much going on. It was only a few weeks ago I was wondering if I would ever play at the same standard again,” said Aspinall.

“I have put so much work in over the last few weeks to try and get back to the level I know I could play, and it’s all come together today.

“In two years since I’ve won a tournament, you start to doubt yourself if you belong with the big boys. But over the last couple of weeks I have put the time in and I am reaping the rewards, and today I am the winner.”

Aspinall credits a chat with his surgeon for his recent resurgence in form and change in mindset, despite the fact the wrist still needs a lot of work to be fully recovered.

“It is still an issue, the tears are still there and you have to let them heal for maybe 12-18 months,” he added.

“I got the good news that I might not require surgery and I am having an injection a week on Tuesday and that should help it.

“I know I am a Premier League player, a top eight in the world player, but I have had a lot of stuff go on.

“Now my mentality and my head is so clear, and I need to get back to where I was in 2019, winning tournaments, TV tournaments and be back in that Premier League. I just need to keep trying my hardest, and put myself in that position.”

In what was a tense final, Aspinall just shaded things – securing an early break of throw in the third leg.

Campbell, only the third Canadian to play in a PDC ProTour final and playing in his first since securing a Tour Card, levelled at 3-3 only to see Aspinall break again in the next leg.

From then on, he failed to find the required break back as Aspinall held strong to see out an 8-6 victory and secure his fourth Players Championship title.

His run to the final began with with routine wins over Joe Murnan and Nathan Rafferty, before posting a 106 average in victory over Andy Boulton.

He then followed this with a 105 average in a 6-1 thumping of Scott Mitchell, and enjoyed convincing wins over Rob Cross and Brendan Dolan to reach the final.

Campbell started his day in fine form, overcoming Jamie Hughes 6-2 with a 106.4 average and followed with another sublime display as he saw off UK Open champion Danny Noppert 6-4 with a 103.5 average.

The 32-year-old then whitewashed Krzysztof Ratajski and defeated Peter Hudson 6-4 and Martijn Kleermaker 6-3 to reach the Semi-Finals.

There, he powered past German number one Gabriel Clemens 7-3 with the aid of some clinical finishing.

It was in defeat that the highest average of the day was posted, as Adrian Lewis fired a staggering 113.12 but was thwarted by youngster Josh Rock 6-3 – who averaged 112.34 himself as three successive 12-darters broke a deadlock and took him to victory.

There were Second Round exits for the likes of Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright and Saturday’s winner Dirk van Duijvenbode.

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Players Championship 13 Results

Sunday April 10

First Round
Radek Szaganski 6-4 Bradley Brooks
Jake Jones 6-5 Ricky Evans
William Borland 6-4 Vladimir Andersen
Martin Lukeman 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Steve Lennon 6-4 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Florian Hempel 6-5 Martin Schindler
Ian White 6-3 Jon Worsley
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Krzysztof Kciuk
John Henderson 6-3 Keegan Brown
Callan Rydz 6-2 John Michael
Jose Justicia 6-4 Jimmy Hendriks
Damon Heta 6-4 Jason Lowe
Gordon Mathers 6-5 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Glen Durrant
Steve Beaton 6-3 Danny Baggish
Ryan Searle 6-5 Graham Hall
Geert Nentjes 6-3 Luc Peters
Madars Razma 6-3 Robert Owen
Peter Hudson 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Adam Hunt
Richie Burnett 6-2 Steve West
Danny Noppert 6-5 Lewy Williams
Matt Campbell 6-2 Jamie Hughes
Ron Meulenkamp 6-3 Joe Cullen
Kevin Doets 6-5 David Evans
Martijn Kleermaker 6-3 Stephen Burton
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Haupai Puha
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Darius Labanauskas
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Matthew Edgar
Ross Smith 6-4 Keane Barry
Jeff Smith 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Nick Fullwell 6-4 Ross Montgomery
Adam Gawlas 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Berry van Peer 6-3 Ryan Meikle
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Max Hopp
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Mike De Decker
Scott Williams 6-4 James Wade
Jim Williams 6-5 Jim McEwan
Michael Smith 6-3 Kevin Burness
Devon Petersen 6-4 Ted Evetts
Mervyn King 6-5 Maik Kuivenhoven
Mickey Mansell 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Luke Humphries 6-4 William O’Connor
Scott Waites 6-5 Pete Burgoyne
Josh Rock 6-3 Adrian Lewis
Eddie Lovely 6-5 Jules van Dongen
Scott Mitchell 6-2 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Geert De Vos
Stu Wilson 6-2 Steve Haggerty
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Joe Murnan
Nathan Rafferty 6-2 George Killington
Andy Boulton 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Brett Claydon 6-4 Alan Soutar
Rob Cross 6-2 John O’Shea
Lee Evans 6-1 Damian Mol
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Vincent van der Voort
Jack Main 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 Jason Heaver
Tony Martinez 6-4 Shaun Wilkinson
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Connor Scutt
Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 Danny Jansen

Second Round
Radek Szaganski 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Jake Jones 6-5 William Borland
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Steve Lennon
Florian Hempel 6-4 Ian White
John Henderson 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Callan Rydz 6-0 Jose Justicia
Damon Heta 6-2 Gordon Mathers
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Steve Beaton
Geert Nentjes 6-2 Ryan Searle
Peter Hudson 6-4 Madars Razma
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Richie Burnett
Matt Campbell 6-4 Danny Noppert
Ron Meulenkamp 6-1 Kevin Doets
Martijn Kleermaker 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Jeff Smith 6-1 Ross Smith
Jose de Sousa 6-4 Nick Fullwell
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Berry van Peer
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Jim Williams 6-2 Scott Williams
Michael Smith 6-1 Devon Petersen
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Mervyn King
Scott Waites 6-4 Luke Humphries
Josh Rock 6-3 Eddie Lovely
Scott Mitchell 6-4 Peter Wright
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Stu Wilson
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Nathan Rafferty
Andy Boulton 6-0 Brett Claydon
Rob Cross 6-2 Lee Evans
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Jack Main
Tony Martinez 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Losers: £750

Last 32
Jake Jones 6-5 Radek Szaganski
Martin Lukeman 6-4 Florian Hempel
John Henderson 6-3 Callan Rydz
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Damon Heta
Peter Hudson 6-4 Geert Nentjes
Matt Campbell 6-0 Krzysztof Ratajski
Martijn Kleermaker 6-2 Ron Meulenkamp
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Jeff Smith
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Jose de Sousa
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Jim Williams
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Michael Smith
Scott Waites 6-4 Josh Rock
Scott Mitchell 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Andy Boulton
Rob Cross 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Tony Martinez
Losers: £1,250

Last 16
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Jake Jones
Gabriel Clemens 6-2 John Henderson
Matt Campbell 6-4 Peter Hudson
Martijn Kleermaker 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Adam Gawlas
Scott Waites 6-2 Mickey Mansell
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Scott Mitchell
Rob Cross 6-0 Kim Huybrechts
Losers: £2,000

Quarter-Finals
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Martin Lukeman
Matt Campbell 6-3 Martijn Kleermaker
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Scott Waites
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Rob Cross
Losers: £3,000

Semi-Finals
Matt Campbell 7-2 Gabriel Clemens
Nathan Aspinall 7-3 Brendan Dolan
Losers: £4,000

Final
Nathan Aspinall 8-6 Matt Campbell
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000