Danny Noppert denies Luke Humphries to claim Players Championship 8 title
Danny Noppert secured his fifth Players Championship title thanks to an 8-6 victory over Luke Humphries in Leicester on Tuesday.
The Dutchman maintained his flawless record in ProTour finals as he denied the reigning World Champion to clinch the Players Championship 8 crown.
Noppert, whose most recent Players Championship title came last September, held his nerve in a close-run final to secure the £12,000 top prize at the Mattioli Arena.
“We were both struggling in the final but I am so happy to get over the line,” said Noppert.
“Yesterday my performance was not so good but today I was there at the right moments.
“There were some crazy games today but I am really proud of myself for taking it over the line.
“I am speechless, but I am always fighting in finals.
“Last week I played Luke and he beat me really hard. Today I got revenge and it is a really good feeling.
“Two years ago I was a UK Open winner and this year I am really going for it, I hope I can take another big title.”
Humphries started the final brightly as he established a 2-0 lead before Noppert pinned a terrific 126 checkout to get off the mark.
A great spell for Noppert then saw him move 4-3 ahead, before Humphries levelled courtesy of a clinical 128 checkout.
Noppert, however, punished a clutch of crucial missed doubles from the world number one in the latter stages and closed out victory with a 64 finish.
The former UK Open champion becomes the eighth different winner in as many Players Championship events so far this year.
Noppert began his run to the final with a 6-3 success over Robert Owen, before averaging 106.6 in a 6-2 victory over Jim Williams.
He then edged out Stephen Burton in a deciding leg before knocking out Premier League star Gerwyn Price 6-3 in the Last 16.
The 33-year-old then averaged 101 in dispatching Kevin Doets 6-3 in the quarter-finals, before thrashing Radek Szaganski 7-2 in the semis.
Humphries was bidding for his first ProTour title of the campaign and notably averaged 107.5 and 106.2 in defeating Jeffrey de Zwaan and Brendan Dolan respectively en route to the final.
He also ended the run of Monday’s champion Chris Dobey with a narrow 6-5 victory in the Last 16 and defeated Gary Anderson 6-4 in the quarter-finals before edging out Gian van Veen 7-6 in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont enjoyed a fine run to his first Players Championship quarter-final, while 2023 UK Open champion Andrew Gilding overcame Michael van Gerwen 6-5 on his way to the Last Eight.
Peter Wright suffered a second successive First Round exit, while Dave Chisnall, Joe Cullen and James Wade also crashed out in Round One.
Players Championship 8 Results
Tuesday April 9
First Round
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Matthew Dennant
Ryan Meikle 6-3 Jurjen van der Velde
Luke Humphries 6-3 Paul Krohne
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-4 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Chris Dobey 6-3 Niels Zonneveld
Patrick Geeraets 6-5 Berry van Peer
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Jitse Van der Wal
Alan Soutar 6-3 Mervyn King
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Matt Campbell
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Robbie Knops
Gary Anderson 6-3 Haupai Puha
Aden Kirk 6-2 Cameron Menzies
Martin Schindler 6-2 Callan Rydz
William O’Connor 6-5 Joshua Richardson
Ryan Searle 6-5 Leighton Bennett
Danny van Trijp 6-5 Josh Payne
Mike De Decker 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Dom Taylor 6-5 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Rob Cross 6-0 Geert Nentjes
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Pascal Rupprecht
Michael Smith 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Stefan Bellmont 6-3 Chris Landman
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Rhys Griffin 6-2 Tim Wolters
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Michele Turetta
Darren Beveridge 6-1 Adam Gawlas
Josh Rock 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven
Ian White 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Gian van Veen 6-4 Daniel Klose
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Andy Boulton
Lee Evans 6-5 Peter Wright
Madars Razma 6-2 Oskar Lukasiak
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Steve Beaton
Andy Baetens 6-1 Jacques Labre
Thibault Tricole 6-2 Dave Chisnall
Radek Szaganski 6-5 William Borland
Owen Roelofs 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Arron Monk 6-5 Graham Usher
Ross Smith 6-2 Boris Krcmar
Ricky Evans 6-3 Nick Kenny
Andrew Gilding 6-0 Owen Bates
Robert Grundy 6-5 Benjamin Drue Reus
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Jeffrey De Graaf
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-5 Steve Lennon
Ryan Joyce 6-3 Martijn Dragt
Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Adam Hunt
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Dylan Slevin 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
Luke Littler 6-4 Christian Perez
Nathan Rafferty 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Damon Heta 6-5 Scott Williams
Kevin Doets 6-4 Brett Claydon
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Keane Barry
Jamie Hughes 6-5 Callum Goffin
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 James Hurrell
Karel Sedlacek 6-4 Jules van Dongen
Danny Lauby 6-5 James Wade
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Adam Warner
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Lukas Wenig
Graham Hall 6-3 Wessel Nijman
Stephen Burton 6-2 Joe Cullen
George Killington 6-2 Keegan Brown
Danny Noppert 6-3 Robert Owen
Jim Williams 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Second Round
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Luke Humphries 6-1 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Chris Dobey 6-2 Patrick Geeraets
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Alan Soutar
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Gary Anderson 6-4 Aden Kirk
Martin Schindler 6-3 William O’Connor
Danny van Trijp 6-4 Ryan Searle
Dom Taylor 6-4 Mike De Decker
Rob Cross 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Stefan Bellmont 6-5 Michael Smith
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Rhys Griffin
Darren Beveridge 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Josh Rock 6-4 Ian White
Gian van Veen 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Madars Razma 6-0 Lee Evans
Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Andy Baetens
Radek Szaganski 6-2 Thibault Tricole
Owen Roelofs 6-3 Arron Monk
Ricky Evans 6-5 Ross Smith
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Robert Grundy
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 Ryan Joyce
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Dylan Slevin
Luke Littler 6-3 Nathan Rafferty
Kevin Doets 6-5 Damon Heta
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Jamie Hughes
Karel Sedlacek 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Danny Lauby
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Graham Hall
Stephen Burton 6-4 George Killington
Danny Noppert 6-2 Jim Williams
Last 32
Luke Humphries 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Chris Dobey 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Gary Anderson 6-0 Jelle Klaasen
Danny van Trijp 6-1 Martin Schindler
Rob Cross 6-5 Dom Taylor
Stefan Bellmont 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Josh Rock 6-1 Darren Beveridge
Gian van Veen 6-4 Madars Razma
Radek Szaganski 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Ricky Evans 6-2 Owen Roelofs
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Ritchie Edhouse
Kevin Doets 6-5 Luke Littler
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Danny Noppert 6-5 Stephen Burton
Last 16
Luke Humphries 6-5 Chris Dobey
Gary Anderson 6-2 Danny van Trijp
Stefan Bellmont 6-5 Rob Cross
Gian van Veen 6-3 Josh Rock
Radek Szaganski 6-4 Ricky Evans
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Kevin Doets 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Danny Noppert 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-Finals
Luke Humphries 6-4 Gary Anderson
Gian van Veen 6-5 Stefan Bellmont
Radek Szaganski 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Danny Noppert 6-3 Kevin Doets
Semi-Finals
Luke Humphries 7-6 Gian van Veen
Danny Noppert 7-2 Radek Szaganski
Final
Danny Noppert 8-6 Luke Humphries
