Kim Huybrechts ends eight-year PDC title drought at Players Championship Three
Kim Huybrechts ended an eight-year wait for a PDC title by winning Players Championship Three in Barnsley on Saturday with an 8-1 rout of Gabriel Clemens in the final.
The Belgian ace produced a series of dominant displays to scoop the £12,000 top prize at the Barnsley Metrodome and clinch his first PDC title since 2015.
Huybrechts began the day in sensational style, averaging 112 in thrashing Devon Petersen 6-1 in the opening round.
He then saw off last Saturday’s semi-finalist Dylan Slevin 6-4 and posted a 102 average to overcome Premier League star Nathan Aspinall, before easing past German youngster Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2 to reach the Quarter-Finals.
The 37-year-old then defied a valiant fightback from Josh Rock to secure his spot in the Semi-Finals, producing a 13-dart hold in a last-leg decider after Rock came roaring back from 5-1 down to draw level.
This set up a show-down against his old adversary Gerwyn Price, but ‘The Hurricane’ ran out a convincing 7-3 winner after reeling off the last four legs without reply.
Clemens suffered an 8-0 whitewash defeat at the hands of Dirk van Duijvenbode in a ProTour final 12 months ago, and he looked poised to suffer the same fate barring a late consolation.
Huybrechts drew first blood in the final with a 78 checkout before punishing Clemens’ wastefulness on the doubles to race into a 5-0 lead.
The Antwerp ace then converted 70 and 117 finishes in consecutive legs to move to the brink of victory at 7-0, only for Clemens to open his account in leg eight with a 103 checkout.
However, that only provided Clemens with a temporary reprieve as Huybrechts sealed the deal on double eight to return to the winner’s circle.
“This means the world to me. I’m so happy,” reflected Huybrechts, celebrating his fifth PDC title.
“I’ve been working really hard since the World Championship. I lost two games last weekend with a 103 and 98 average and I was thinking this can’t happen all the time, but the level is so high these days.
“When I won my last title, I was on the up. My name was always there and now I wasn’t even in the conversation, so this win means everything.
“I want to be back in that top 16. I want to be qualified for everything. I want to be up there again in the top ten of the world.
“That is my goal and some people will say I won’t reach it, but you have to set goals in your life, and I believe in my own ability.”
Clemens, appearing in his seventh PDC final, was unable to land an elusive first ranking title, but continued his strong start to 2023 to secure the £8,000 runner-up prize.
The World Championship semi-finalist cruised past Jules van Dongen in his opener and followed up with wins over Jose Justicia, Kevin Doets and European Champion Ross Smith.
Clemens continued his progress with a Quarter-Final victory over Latvia’s Madars Razma, before reeling off four consecutive legs from 4-3 down to defeat Canada’s Matt Campbell.
Campbell claimed the scalps of Dutch trio Vincent van der Voort, Niels Zonneveld and Gian van Veen in reaching the Semi-Finals, while also overcoming Bradley Brooks and Mike De Decker.
Price, meanwhile, marked his first ProTour appearance of 2023 with a strong showing in Barnsley, edging out James Hurrell 6-5 with a 104 average in his performance of the day.
The Welshman also saw off Callum Goffin, Scott Williams, Richard Veenstra and Andrew Gilding to reach the Semi-Finals.
Remarkably, there were eight different nationalities represented in Saturday’s Quarter-Finals, with Gilding, Razma and Van Veen succumbing in the Last Eight alongside World Youth Champion Rock.
This weekend’s ProTour action continues on Sunday with Players Championship 4 as 128 players return to action at the Barnsley Metrodome.
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Players Championship Three Results
Saturday February 18
First Round
Luke Humphries 6-1 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Brian Raman 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Jamie Hughes 6-1 Jimmy Hendriks
Robert Owen 6-1 George Killington
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Chris Landman
Luke Woodhouse 6 -5 Thibault Tricole
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Mickey Mansell
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Callum Goffin
James Hurrell 6-5 Ian White
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-3 Graham Usher
Scott Williams 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Ryan Searle 6-3 Florian Hempel
Jermaine Wattimena 6-0 Boris Krcmar
Richard Veenstra 6-5 Adrian Lewis
Andy Boulton 6-3 Owen Roelofs
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Cameron Menzies
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-4 Damian Mol
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Devon Petersen
Dylan Slevin 6-5 Graham Hall
Martin Schindler 6-1 Ryan Meikle
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-3 Lee Evans
Chris Dobey 6-1 Keane Barry
Tony Martinez 6-4 Jacques Labre
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Steve Lennon 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Arron Monk
Adam Warner 6-5 Danny Jansen
Josh Rock 6-4 Gary Anderson
John O’Shea 6-4 Cameron Crabtree
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Richie Burnett
Robbie Knops 6-4 Alan Soutar
Ross Smith 6-3 Damon Heta
Ross Montgomery 6-3 Steve Beaton
Jim Williams 6-1 Adam Smith-Neale
Pascal Rupprecht 6-3 Darren Webster
Jose De Sousa 6-1 James Wilson
Kevin Doets 6-1 Geert Nentjes
Gabriel Clemens 6-1 Jules van Dongen
Jose Justicia 6-5 Nick Kenny
Danny Noppert 6-2 Josh Payne
Ted Evetts 6-4 Danny van Trijp
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Jeff Smith 6-4 Joe Murnan
Joe Cullen 6-2 Shaun Wilkinson
Scott Waites 6-2 William O’Connor
Madars Razma 6-2 Kevin Burness
Radek Szaganski 6-2 Darius Labanauskas
Rob Cross 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Lewy Williams 6-5 Christian Kist
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Nathan Rafferty
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Maik Kuivenhoven
Bradley Brooks 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Matt Campbell 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Mike De Decker 6-4 James Wade
Stephen Burton 6-5 Martijn Kleermaker
Connor Scutt 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-2 Jamie Clark
Callan Rydz 6-2 Mervyn King
Gian van Veen 6-2 Ricky Evans
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Keegan Brown
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-4 Luc Peters
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
Daniel Klose 6-3 Jurjen van der Velde
Second Round
Luke Humphries 6-1 Brian Raman
Jamie Hughes 6-3 Robert Owen
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
Adam Gawlas 6-0 Ryan Joyce
Gerwyn Price 6-5 James Hurrell
Scott Williams 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Ryan Searle
Richard Veenstra 6-2 Andy Boulton
Nathan Aspinall 6-0 Krzysztof Kciuk
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Dylan Slevin
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Martin Schindler
Chris Dobey 6-4 Tony Martinez
Steve Lennon 6-2 Dave Chisnall
Adam Warner 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Josh Rock 6-3 John O’Shea
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Robbie Knops
Ross Smith 6-5 Ross Montgomery
Jim Williams 6-1 Pascal Rupprecht
Kevin Doets 6-2 Jose De Sousa
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Jose Justicia
Danny Noppert 6-3 Ted Evetts
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-3 Jeff Smith
Scott Waites 6-4 Joe Cullen
Madars Razma 6-1 Radek Szaganski
Rob Cross 6-1 Lewy Williams
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Simon Whitlock
Matt Campbell 6-3 Bradley Brooks
Mike De Decker 6-4 Stephen Burton
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-4 Connor Scutt
Gian van Veen 6-5 Callan Rydz
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Daniel Klose
Losers: £750
Last 32
Jamie Hughes 6-5 Luke Humphries
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Adam Gawlas
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Scott Williams
Richard Veenstra 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Chris Dobey
Adam Warner 6-2 Steve Lennon
Josh Rock 6-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
Ross Smith 6-3 Jim Williams
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Kevin Doets
Danny Noppert 6-5 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Madars Razma 6-2 Scott Waites
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Rob Cross
Matt Campbell 6-3 Mike De Decker
Gian van Veen 6-5 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Martin Lukeman
Losers: £1,250
Last 16
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Jamie Hughes
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Richard Veenstra
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
Josh Rock 6-3 Adam Warner
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Ross Smith
Madars Razma 6-4 Danny Noppert
Matt Campbell 6-2 Niels Zonneveld
Gian van Veen 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Losers: £2,000
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Josh Rock
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Madars Razma
Matt Campbell 6-3 Gian van Veen
Losers: £3,000
Semi-Finals
Kim Huybrechts 7-3 Gerwyn Price
Gabriel Clemens 7-4 Matt Campbell
Losers: £4,000
Final
Kim Huybrechts 8-1 Gabriel Clemens
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000
