Damon Heta secures second title of 2024 at Players Championship 18
Damon Heta scooped his second PDC ranking title of the year at Players Championship 18 in Milton Keynes thanks to an 8-3 rout of Ryan Searle in the final.
Just days after finishing runner-up in the New Zealand Masters, Heta made the long-haul journey to the Marshall Arena worthwhile as he joined Luke Littler in becoming the second player to win multiple Players Championship titles in 2024.
The 37-year-old sealed the deal with a dominant display against Searle in Wednesday’s final, averaging 106.8 to follow up his Players Championship Four triumph in February.
The Australian number one established an early lead with legs of 16, 11 and 13 darts, only for Searle to reply with a three-leg burst of his own to draw level at three apiece.
However, Heta stormed clear with a run of five consecutive legs, including a sensational 140 checkout, to clinch the £15,000 top prize.
“I’m really stoked about today,” admitted Heta, who now moves into double figures of PDC titles.
“I look at my world ranking and my ProTour ranking, and I don’t want to slip. I don’t want to put pressure on myself in other tournaments.
“I’m going to play in everything while I’m here, because I’m not here forever and I’m trying to make a massive impact.
“You take what you can get in this environment, and so many players are producing some incredible darts at the moment.
“I’m really pleased with the way I played today. This is a massive bonus for me, and I’m going to keep working hard and keep plugging away.”
Heta was forced to defy a 104 average from Rowby-John Rodriguez in winning through a high quality last-leg decider in Round One, but went on to drop just four legs en route to the semi-finals.
The former World Cup of Darts winner overcame Keegan Brown, Niels Zonneveld, Callum Goffin and Danny Noppert, and he booked his place in the final with a thrilling 7-6 win over Cameron Menzies.
The world number nine converted a skin-saving 132 checkout to force a decider against the Scot, and he capped off a brilliant comeback with an 81 checkout for an 11-dart break, despite Menzies averaging 106.6.
Searle reached the final in each of the first three ProTour events this season, and he returned to form with a string of superb displays.
He averaged 106 in wins over Kai Gotthardt and Ross Smith respectively, while accounting for former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding 6-3 in the Last 32.
The Somerset star also overcame Steve Beaton in the semi-finals, after the 60-year-old rolled back the years to stun Michael van Gerwen and revive his hopes of World Championship qualification in his final year on the professional circuit.
Beaton was joined in the semi-finals by an inspired Menzies – who averaged 107 and 106 in thrilling victories against Chris Dobey and James Wade respectively.
The Scot also whitewashed Jim Williams in the quarter-finals, although his hopes of featuring in a maiden ProTour final were cruelly thwarted by Heta in an epic tie.
Ross Smith landed his second nine-darter of the year in his Second Round win over Dom Taylor, averaging 108 before eventually losing out to Searle in the Last Eight.
Williams saw off two-time World Champion Peter Wright and top seed Dave Chisnall during his run to the quarter-finals, while Noppert defeated German duo Florian Hempel and Gabriel Clemens in reaching the same stage.
Players Championship 18 Results
Wednesday August 21
First Round
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Alan Soutar
Matt Campbell 6-5 Jurjen van der Velde
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Connor Scutt
Reece Colley 6-4 Wessel Nijman
Peter Wright 6-3 Graham Usher
Jim Williams 6-4 Tim Wolters
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Jamie Atkins
Owen Roelofs 6-3 Lee Cocks
James Wade 6-3 Franz Roetzsch
William O’Connor 6-0 William Borland
Martin Schindler 6-5 Steve Lennon
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Andy Boulton 6-4 Graham Hall
Chris Dobey 6-3 Ricky Evans
Madars Razma 6-3 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Joshua Richardson
Danny van Trijp 6-5 Jose De Sousa
Danny Noppert 6-2 Arron Monk
Florian Hempel 6-3 Stefan Bellmont
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Jeffrey De Graaf
Daniel Klose 6-3 Darren Beveridge
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Chris Landman 6-4 Michele Turetta
Rene Eidams 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Niels Zonneveld 6-0 Mervyn King
Damon Heta 6-5 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Keegan Brown 6-3 James Hurrell
Mickey Mansell 6-4 Brendan Dolan
Justin Hood 6-4 John Henderson
Christian Perez 6-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
Callum Goffin 6-1 Lukas Wenig
Richard Veenstra 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Karel Sedlacek 6-3 Dylan Slevin
Ross Smith 6-4 Robert Grundy
Dom Taylor 6-4 Adam Warner
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Thibault Tricole
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-0 Robbie Knops
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Richie Burnett
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Pascal Rupprecht
Andrew Gilding 6-0 Brett Claydon
Andy Baetens 6-3 Vincent van der Voort
Ryan Searle 6-2 Berry van Peer
Kai Gotthardt 6-5 Keane Barry
Luke Woodhouse 6-2 Jitse Van der Wal
Danny Lauby 6-4 Owen Bates
Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Gian van Veen
George Killington 6-1 Ian White
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Cam Crabtree
Christian Kist 6-5 Patrick Geeraets
Robert Owen 6-1 Josh Rock
Steve Beaton 6-2 Adam Gawlas
Mike De Decker 6-3 Nick Kenny
Stephen Burton 6-3 Nathan Rafferty
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Jamie Hughes 6-5 Benjamin Reus
Kevin Doets 6-3 Martijn Dragt
Scott Williams 6-2 Jules van Dongen
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Rhys Griffin
Adam Hunt 6-3 Josh Payne
Joe Cullen 6-4 Boris Krcmar
Matthew Dennant 6-1 Danny Jansen
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Lee Evans
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Geert Nentjes
Second Round
Matt Campbell 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Reece Colley
Jim Williams 6-2 Peter Wright
Owen Roelofs 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade 6-4 William O’Connor
Martin Schindler 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Andy Boulton
Chris Dobey 6-3 Madars Razma
Gabriel Clemens 6-2 Danny van Trijp
Danny Noppert 6-4 Florian Hempel
Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 Daniel Klose
Chris Landman 6-2 Maik Kuivenhoven
Niels Zonneveld 6-0 Rene Eidams
Damon Heta 6-2 Keegan Brown
Mickey Mansell 6-4 Justin Hood
Callum Goffin 6-3 Christian Perez
Karel Sedlacek 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Ross Smith 6-2 Dom Taylor – *Smith hits a nine-darter*
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Ryan Meikle 6-2 Ryan Joyce
Andrew Gilding 6-2 Andy Baetens
Ryan Searle 6-1 Kai Gotthardt
Danny Lauby 6-4 Luke Woodhouse
Wesley Plaisier 6-3 George Killington
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Christian Kist
Steve Beaton 6-5 Robert Owen
Stephen Burton 6-3 Mike De Decker
Jonny Clayton 6-0 Jamie Hughes
Scott Williams 6-2 Kevin Doets
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Adam Hunt
Matthew Dennant 6-5 Joe Cullen
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Last 32
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Matt Campbell
Jim Williams 6-4 Owen Roelofs
James Wade 6-4 Martin Schindler
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Chris Dobey
Danny Noppert 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
Chris Landman 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse
Damon Heta 6-0 Niels Zonneveld
Callum Goffin 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Ross Smith 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Ryan Searle 6-3 Andrew Gilding
Danny Lauby 6-3 Wesley Plaisier
Steve Beaton 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Stephen Burton 6-2 Jonny Clayton
Scott Williams 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Matthew Dennant
Last 16
Jim Williams 6-3 Dave Chisnall
Cameron Menzies 6-5 James Wade
Danny Noppert 6-4 Chris Landman
Damon Heta 6-1 Callum Goffin
Ross Smith 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Ryan Searle 6-2 Danny Lauby
Steve Beaton 6-2 Stephen Burton
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Scott Williams
Quarter-Finals
Cameron Menzies 6-0 Jim Williams
Damon Heta 6-1 Danny Noppert
Ryan Searle 6-5 Ross Smith
Steve Beaton 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-Finals
Damon Heta 7-6 Cameron Menzies
Ryan Searle 7-4 Steve Beaton
Final
Damon Heta 8-3 Ryan Searle
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