Rob Cross claims opening Players Championship title of 2025
Rob Cross secured the first ProTour title of 2025 at Players Championship 1 in Wigan courtesy of a dominant 8-3 win over Joe Cullen in the final on Monday.
Cross produced a series of impressive displays to seal his second title of the year, having also claimed Dutch Masters glory last month.
The 2018 World Champion registered a trio of ton-plus averages en route to the £15,000 title at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, before overcoming Cullen to claim his tenth Players Championship crown.
Following convincing 6-2 wins over Rob Owen and Owen Bates in the opening two rounds, Cross averaged 104 in a high-quality contest against James Hurrell, before running out a 6-3 winner against ProTour debutant Carl Sneyd.
The Premier League star then denied Jermaine Wattimena in a last-leg shoot-out to book his place in the semi-finals, where he overturned a 3-0 deficit against Andrew Gilding, reeling off seven straight legs to prevail with a 108 average.
Cross continued that scintillating form against a resurgent Cullen, averaging 104.6 and firing in five 180s on his way to an emphatic victory.
The world number four made a blistering start to lead 3-0 with a 110 average, and though Cullen reduced the deficit with back-to-back legs, Cross replied with legs of 13 and 14 darts to restore his three-leg advantage.
Cross then powered in a terrific 129 checkout on the bull to move 6-3 ahead, before following up an 11-dart break with another routine hold to cap off a classy performance.
“It’s nice to win on the ProTour again,” admitted Cross, whose last ProTour title came in 2023.
“I was a bit lazy last year, and I thought to myself: ‘Don’t put yourself in that position again,’ because it’s heart-wrenching.
“I’ve been hit and miss in the last few months, but I’m enjoying myself at the minute, and when I do find it, I can play some special darts.
“I had a couple of wisdom teeth out at the weekend, so I don’t feel at my best right now, but I can’t use that as an excuse!
“I feel like I’m getting better, and if I can deliver that when I’m not 100%, that’s typical Bobby isn’t it!”
Cullen was denied a first PDC ranking title since September 2022, but the former Masters champion enjoyed a welcome return to form in Wigan.
Cullen dumped out reigning World Champion Luke Littler and world number one Luke Humphries en route to the final, which began with successive deciding-leg wins over Greg Ritchie and Scott Williams.
The Yorkshireman punished a below-par display from Littler in the Last 32 which saw the teenager squander a staggering 15 darts at doubles and average 87.8.
Cullen went on to dispatch Dutch duo Gian van Veen and Richard Veenstra to progress to the semi-finals, where he held off a stirring fightback from Humphries to triumph in a last-leg epic, averaging 105 to end Humphries’ 13-match winning run, which ironically began against him at the Winmau World Masters.
Humphries overcame Austrian duo Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Mensur Suljovic on his way to the semis, and he also defeated Mike De Decker in a repeat of last October’s World Grand Prix final.
The world number one then swept aside Darryl Pilgrim to seal his semi-final spot alongside Andrew Gilding – who saw off Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton and Luke Woodhouse to begin the new ProTour campaign in style.
Woodhouse produced a brace of ton-plus averages in advancing to the quarter-finals, where he was joined by new Tour Card Holder Pilgrim, European Championship runner-up Wattimena and Veenstra.
Dimitri Van den Bergh produced the performance of the day in Wigan, averaging 114 in his second round demolition of Cam Crabtree.
Players Championship 1 Results
Monday February 10
First Round
Carl Sneyd 6-4 Dave Chisnall
William Borland 6-1 Jules van Dongen
Madars Razma 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Justin Hood
Rob Cross 6-2 Rob Owen
Owen Bates 6-4 Beau Greaves
Kevin Burness 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
James Hurrell 6-2 Florian Hempel
Marvin van Velzen 6-5 Martin Schindler
Callan Rydz 6-1 Berry van Peer
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Joshua Richardson
Nick Kenny 6-5 Jose De Sousa
Ross Smith 6-5 Brett Claydon
William O’Connor 6-1 Radek Szaganski
James Wade 6-1 Cor Dekker
Mickey Mansell 6-2 Wesley Plaisier
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Bradley Brooks
Leon Weber 6-2 Dennie Olde Kalter
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Tom Bissell
Sebastian Bialecki 6-2 Kim Huybrechts
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Ted Evetts
Stefaan Henderyck 6-4 Stephen Burton
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Michael Smith
Cam Crabtree 6-5 Andy Baetens
Michele Turetta 6-4 Ryan Searle
Dylan Slevin 6-4 Tommy Lishman
Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Robert Grundy
Christian Kist 6-1 Viktor Tingstrom
Ricky Evans 6-4 Gary Anderson
Kevin Doets 6-3 Adam Warner
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Nathan Rafferty
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Maik Kuivenhoven
Luke Littler 6-4 Jim Long
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Chris Landman
Joe Cullen 6-5 Greg Ritchie
Scott Williams 6-2 Lukas Wenig
Gian van Veen 6-3 Oskar Lukasiak
Adam Lipscombe 6-4 Andy Boulton
Adam Hunt 6- Peter Wright
Tavis Dudeney 6-5 Jelle Klaasen
Chris Dobey 6-4 George Killington
Richard Veenstra 6-0 Pero Ljubic
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 Ian White
Keane Barry 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Danny Noppert 6-2 Thibault Tricole
Karel Sedlacek 6-2 Max Hopp
Ritchie Edhouse 6-1 Dominik Gruellich
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Steve Lennon
Luke Humphries 6-3 Tytus Kanik
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-4 Maximilian Czerwinski
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Ryan Joyce
Haupai Puha 6-2 Martijn Dragt
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Adam Paxton 6-5 Darius Labanauskas
Mike De Decker 6-5 Stefan Bellmont
Dom Taylor 6-2 Matt Campbell
Josh Rock 6-5 Connor Scutt
Darryl Pilgrim 6-4 Darren Beveridge
Alan Soutar 6-1 Ricardo Pietreczko
Thomas Lovely 6-3 Niko Springer
Damon Heta 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
Kai Gotthardt 6-4 Rhys Griffin
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Danny Lauby
Jitse Van der Wal 6-3 Patrick Geeraets
Second Round
Carl Sneyd 6-5 William Borland
Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Madars Razma
Rob Cross 6-2 Owen Bates
James Hurrell 6-2 Kevin Burness
Callan Rydz 6-0 Marvin van Velzen
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Nick Kenny
Ross Smith 6-5 William O’Connor
James Wade 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Leon Weber
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Sebastian Bialecki
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Stefaan Henderyck
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-1 Cam Crabtree
Dylan Slevin 6-3 Michele Turetta
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Christian Kist
Kevin Doets 6-5 Ricky Evans
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Ryan Meikle
Luke Littler 6-3 Martin Lukeman
Joe Cullen 6-5 Scott Williams
Gian van Veen 6-1 Adam Lipscombe
Adam Hunt 6-4 Tavis Dudeney
Richard Veenstra 6-4 Chris Dobey
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Keane Barry
Danny Noppert 6-2 Karel Sedlacek
Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Luke Humphries 6-5 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Haupai Puha
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Adam Paxton
Mike De Decker 6-4 Dom Taylor
Darryl Pilgrim 6-3 Josh Rock
Alan Soutar 6-1 Thomas Lovely
Damon Heta 6-1 Kai Gotthardt
Jitse Van der Wal 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Last 32
Carl Sneyd 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Rob Cross 6-4 James Hurrell
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Callan Rydz
Ross Smith 6-1 James Wade
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Jonny Clayton 6-0 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Luke Woodhouse 6-5 Dylan Slevin
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Kevin Doets
Joe Cullen 6-3 Luke Littler
Gian van Veen 6-4 Adam Hunt
Richard Veenstra 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Danny Noppert 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse
Luke Humphries 6-2 Mensur Suljovic
Mike De Decker 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Darryl Pilgrim 6-0 Alan Soutar
Damon Heta 6-5 Jitse Van der Wal
Last 16
Rob Cross 6-3 Carl Sneyd
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Ross Smith
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Wessel Nijman
Joe Cullen 6-5 Gian van Veen
Richard Veenstra 6-2 Danny Noppert
Luke Humphries 6-4 Mike De Decker
Darryl Pilgrim 6-5 Damon Heta
Quarter-Finals
Rob Cross 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
Joe Cullen 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Luke Humphries 6-1 Darryl Pilgrim
Semi-Finals
Rob Cross 7-3 Andrew Gilding
Joe Cullen 7-6 Luke Humphries
Final
Rob Cross 8-3 Joe Cullen
