Wessel Nijman scoops fabulous fourth ProTour title at Players Championship 2
Wessel Nijman edged out Gerwyn Price to seal his fourth PDC ranking title at Players Championship Two in Hildesheim on Tuesday.
Price and Nijman were the top two performers on last season’s Players Championship Order of Merit, and they reaffirmed their credentials on a high quality day of action at Halle 39.
However, it was Nijman who scooped the £15,000 top prize, defying a 107.4 average from Price in the final to triumph in a deciding-leg epic.
The Dutch ace fired in a trio of 14-darters to establish a 3-1 lead, only for Price – aided by a 144 checkout in leg six – to restore parity at three apiece.
Price then followed up an 11-darter in leg ten with a 121 checkout on the bull to lead 6-5, but his advantage was short-lived, as Nijman hit back with a 12-dart break to level at six-all.
The pair then traded holds of throw to set up a thrilling climax, though the advantage of throw proved pivotal for Nijman, who backed up a superb 171 with a clinical 94 finish to seal victory.
“To win a final like this, when Gerwyn pushes you to the limit, it means a lot,” said Nijman, who averaged 102.8 in sealing a memorable triumph.
“I’m really happy with the way I played today. I’m getting close to the top 24 now but I want to improve a lot.
“I want to be in the top 16 and I want to improve in the big games.
“I’ve said it before in Dutch television interviews; you cannot be playing like this on the floor without it happening on the big stages.
“I’m not really worried about not performing on the big stage; I think it’s just a matter of time.”
Having kicked off his campaign with comfortable wins over Viktor Tingstrom and Samuel Price, Nijman burst into life against Cor Dekker, averaging almost 105 to topple the Norwegian number one.
The 25-year-old then overcame newcomer Tommy Morris in the Last 16, before averaging 106 in demolishing Carl Sneyd in the quarter-finals.
This set up a showdown against World Championship semi-finalist Ryan Searle, and Nijman delivered another dominant display, winning seven straight legs from 2-0 adrift to surge through.
Price, meanwhile, registered an astonishing tournament average of 105.7 across his seven matches, featuring the two highest averages of the afternoon.
The former World Champion was ruthlessly efficient in dispatching of Kim Huybrechts, which he backed up with a brace of 6-2 victories over Stephen Burton and Cristo Reyes.
Nevertheless, the fireworks really began in his Last 16 clash against Luke Woodhouse as the Premier League star averaged 111.14 to set up a showdown against Michael van Gerwen.
Price remarkably went one better against the Dutch superstar, averaging 117.12 to complete a nine-minute whitewash, featuring legs of 14, 11, 12, 11, 15 and 14 darts.
The Welshman later averaged 104 in his 7-4 success against Krzysztof Ratajski in the semi-finals, only to fall agonisingly short at the expense of a nerveless Nijman.
Ratajski dumped out Dutch duo Dirk van Duijvenbode and Danny Noppert en route to the semi-finals, while Searle accounted for the likes of Kevin Doets and Dave Chisnall before succumbing at the same stage.
Chisnall and Noppert were joined in the quarter-finals by new Tour Card Holder Sneyd – who claimed the scalps of former European Champions Ross Smith and Ritchie Edhouse earlier in the day.
Fresh from his semi-final showing on Monday, Van Gerwen completed the Last Eight line-up, having averaged 106 to win his opening round tussle against Michael Smith, in a repeat of the 2023 World Championship final.
Monday’s champion James Wade was edged out in a last-leg decider by Chisnall in the Last 32, while European Champion Gian van Veen and two-time World Champion Peter Wright were amongst the high-profile opening round casualties on German soil.
Meanwhile, James Hurrell and Gabriel Clemens added their names to the nine-dart roll of honour, achieving perfection against Maik Kuivenhoven and Madars Razma respectively.
Hurrell fired in his perfect leg in his opening round victory over Kuivenhoven, while Clemens landed his nine-darter to wrap up a 6-3 success against Razma in round three, averaging 108 in the process.
Players Championship 2 Results
Monday February 9
First Round
Cristo Reyes 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-1 Stefaan Henderyck
Gerwyn Price 6-0 Kim Huybrechts
Stephen Burton 6-3 Keane Barry
Dominik Gruellich 6-3 Niko Springer
Ian White 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Martijn Dragt
David Sharp 6-4 Adam Lipscombe
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Michael Smith
Ricky Evans 6-2 Arno Merk
Charlie Manby 6-3 Chris Dobey
Jimmy van Schie 6-4 Tom Bissell
Thomas Lovely 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
James Hurrell 6-5 Maik Kuivenhoven – *Hurrell hits a nine-darter*
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Shane McGuirk 6-0 Dimitri van den Bergh
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko
Darryl Pilgrim 6-2 Sietse Lap
Madars Razma 6-4 Gian van Veen
Rob Owen 6-5 Adam Warner
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Mike De Decker
Bradley Brooks 6-5 Pero Ljubic
Danny Noppert 6-5 Stefan Bellmont
Lukas Wenig 6-5 Callan Rydz
Tom Sykes 6-5 Peter Wright
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-4 Oskar Lukasiak
Martin Schindler 6-4 Cam Crabtree
Adam Paxton 6-3 Jack Tweddell
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-0 Matthias Ehlers
Greg Ritchie 6-4 Adam Leek
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Marvin Kraft
Thibault Tricole 6-5 Benjamin Pratnemer
Kevin Doets 6-3 Tyler Thorpe
Max Hopp 6-4 Rhys Griffin
Niall Culleton 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Nick Kenny 6-5 Connor Scutt
William O’Connor 6-3 Dennie Olde Kalter
Joe Hunt 6-4 Marvin van Velzen
Ryan Searle 6-4 Darius Labanauskas
Tavis Dudeney 6-5 Maximilian Czerwinski
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Scott Williams 6-5 Jurjen van der Velde
Mickey Mansell 6-5 Damon Heta
Alan Soutar 6-3 Stephen Rosney
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Andy Boulton
Chris Landman 6-1 Jim Long
James Wade w/o v Christian Kist
Kai Gotthardt 6-5 Steve Lennon
Cor Dekker 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Mervyn King 6-3 Leon Weber
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Viktor Tingstrom
Samuel Price 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Filip Bereza 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Tommy Morris 6-0 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Gary Anderson 6-0 Pascal Rupprecht
Sebastian Bialecki 6-4 Justin Hood
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Yorick Hofkens
Owen Bates 6-2 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Carl Sneyd 6-3 Ross Smith
Wesley Plaisier 6-0 Ryan Meikle
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Joe Cullen
Rob Cross 6-0 Beau Greaves
Tytus Kanik 6-4 Cameron Menzies
Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 Alexander Merkx
Second Round
Cristo Reyes 6-4 Jeffrey de Graaf
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Stephen Burton
Dominik Gruellich 6-2 Ian White
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 David Sharp
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Ricky Evans
Charlie Manby 6-3 Jimmy van Schie
James Hurrell 6-3 Thomas Lovely
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Shane McGuirk
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Darryl Pilgrim
Madars Razma 6-5 Rob Owen
Adam Gawlas 6-2 Bradley Brooks
Danny Noppert 6-2 Lukas Wenig
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-3 Tom Sykes
Adam Paxton 6-5 Martin Schindler
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Greg Ritchie
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Thibault Tricole
Kevin Doets 6-4 Max Hopp
Nick Kenny 6-4 Niall Culleton
Joe Hunt 6-2 William O’Connor
Ryan Searle 6-1 Tavis Dudeney
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Scott Williams
Alan Soutar 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Chris Landman
James Wade 6-4 Kai Gotthardt
Cor Dekker 6-5 Mervyn King
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Samuel Price
Tommy Morris 6-2 Filip Bereza
Gary Anderson 6-3 Sebastian Bialecki
Owen Bates 6-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Carl Sneyd 6-4 Wesley Plaisier
Rob Cross 6-2 Mensur Suljovic
Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Tytus Kanik
Last 32
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Cristo Reyes
Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Dominik Gruellich
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Charlie Manby
James Hurrell 6-1 Jermaine Wattimena
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Madars Razma
Danny Noppert 6-4 Adam Gawlas
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-4 Adam Paxton
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Kevin Doets 6-2 Nick Kenny
Ryan Searle 6-5 Joe Hunt
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Alan Soutar
Dave Chisnall 6-5 James Wade
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Cor Dekker
Tommy Morris 6-5 Gary Anderson
Carl Sneyd 6-1 Owen Bates
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Rob Cross
Last 16
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Luke Woodhouse
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 James Hurrell
Danny Noppert 6-2 Gabriel Clemens
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Ryan Searle 6-4 Kevin Doets
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Wessel Nijman 6-4 Tommy Morris
Carl Sneyd 6-5 Ritchie Edhouse
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 6-0 Michael van Gerwen
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Danny Noppert
Ryan Searle 6-1 Dave Chisnall
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Carl Sneyd
Semi-Finals
Gerwyn Price 7-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Wessel Nijman 7-2 Ryan Searle
Final
Wessel Nijman 8-7 Gerwyn Price
