Jim Williams clinches first PDC title at Players Championship Six

Jim Williams secured his first PDC ranking title at Players Championship Six courtesy of an 8-6 victory over Ricky Evans in the final on Sunday.

The former BDO world finalist, who joined the PDC circuit full-time in January, became the latest new winner of a ProTour event as he scooped the £12,000 title in Barnsley.

Williams, twice a Challenge Tour event winner, held his nerve to deny Evans a first PDC ranking title in a close-run final.

Evans broke throw with a 128 checkout to level at 6-6, only for Williams to reply with a 12-darter to move to within one of victory.

The Welshman squandered seven match darts before eventually pinning double one to clinch the title in dramatic fashion.

“I didn’t feel any nerves all day until the last match darts,” admitted Williams. “It wasn’t a great way to win it but it is a good feeling.

“It’s a very long day and I haven’t played that much in the last three years really so I had to battle through.”

“To win it is great and hopefully now I feel like I belong and can kick on from here.”

Williams began his run to the title with a 6-0 whitewash of Peter Hudson before seeing off Kevin Burness and Andrew Gilding.

He then defeated in-form Scott Williams and UK Open finalist Michael Smith before edging out Martin Schindler 7-5 in the Semi-Finals.

Evans, competing in his fifth PDC final, battled past Chris Dobey, John O’Shea, Jason Lowe and Mensur Suljovic to reach the Last 16.

He then saw off Germany’s Gabriel Clemens before defying a nine-darter from Danny Noppert in the Semi-Finals to prevail 7-4.

UK Open champion Noppert’s nine-darter was the third of the weekend, with Josh Rock and Joe Cullen producing perfection in Players Championship Five on Saturday.

Rock, 20, enjoyed a superb run to the Quarter-Finals which included a 6-2 victory over Brendan Dolan with a 109.7 average.

World number one Peter Wright crashed out in the opening round 6-2 to Steve West, averaging just 81.7 in the process, while the likes of Dimitri Van den Bergh and Gary Anderson also suffered shock First Round exits.

CLAIM 50 FREE SPINS WHEN YOU REGISTER HERE (18+ | T&Cs Apply)

Players Championship Six Results

Sunday March 20

First Round
Steve West 6-2 Peter Wright
Lewy Williams 6-2 Danny Baggish
Martijn Kleermaker 6-1 Scott Waites
Keane Barry 6-2 Pete Burgoyne
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Bradley Brooks
William Borland 6-4 Tony Martinez
Ross Montgomery 6-3 Ross Smith
Josh Rock 6-3 Keegan Brown
Damon Heta 6-0 Luc Peters
Robert Owen 6-4 Madars Razma
Callan Rydz 6-4 Steve Haggerty
Lee Evans 6-2 Vladimir Andersen
Luke Humphries 6-1 Berry van Peer
Jason Heaver 6-5 Kevin Doets
Martin Schindler 6-2 Boris Krcmar
Florian Hempel 6-4 David Evans
Kevin Burness 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Jim Williams 6-0 Peter Hudson
Andrew Gilding 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Martin Lukeman 6-2 Mike De Decker
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Jake Jones
Brett Claydon 6-5 Steve Beaton
Nick Fullwell 6-3 Dave Chisnall
Scott Williams 6-2 Danny Jansen
Michael Smith 6-2 Jack Main
Devon Petersen 6-5 Jim McEwan
Darius Labanauskas 6-1 Gary Anderson
Matthew Edgar 6-2 Matt Campbell
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Stu Wilson
Jose Justicia 6-3 Jimmy Hendriks
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Geert De Vos
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Jeff Smith
Jose de Sousa 6-3 Alan Soutar
Jon Worsley 6-2 Glen Durrant
Simon Whitlock 6-2 George Killington
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Steve Lennon
Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Mickey Mansell
Ian White 6-1 Darren Webster
Ryan Meikle 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Adam Gawlas 6-0 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Ryan Searle 6-5 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Geert Nentjes 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Andy Boulton
Ryan Joyce 6-1 John Henderson
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Jules van Dongen
Joe Murnan 6-3 Adam Hunt
Danny Noppert 6-4 Stephen Burton
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Richie Burnett
Joe Cullen 6-5 Maik Kuivenhoven
Jamie Hughes 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Shaun Wilkinson
Gordon Mathers 6-1 James Wilson
Ricky Evans 6-5 Chris Dobey
John O’Shea 6-0 Eddie Lovely
James Wade 6-5 Ron Meulenkamp
Jason Lowe 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Rob Cross 6-2 Jermaine Wattimena
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-3 Ted Evetts
Mervyn King 6-4 Radek Szaganski
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-2 Brian Raman
William O’Connor 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-3 Max Hopp
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Connor Scutt
Nathan Rafferty 6-2 Damian Mol

Last 64
Lewy Williams 6-3 Steve West
Martijn Kleermaker 6-2 Keane Barry
Brendan Dolan 6-1 William Borland
Josh Rock 6-5 Ross Montgomery
Damon Heta 6-2 Robert Owen
Callan Rydz 6-0 Lee Evans
Luke Humphries 6-3 Jason Heaver
Martin Schindler 6-2 Florian Hempel
Jim Williams 6-3 Kevin Burness
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Martin Lukeman
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Brett Claydon
Scott Williams 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Michael Smith 6-4 Devon Petersen
Darius Labanauskas 6-5 Matthew Edgar
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Jose Justicia
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
Jose de Sousa 6-2 Jon Worsley
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Simon Whitlock
Ian White 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Ryan Meikle 6-3 Adam Gawlas
Geert Nentjes 6-3 Ryan Searle
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 Joe Murnan
Danny Noppert 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Joe Cullen 6-1 Jamie Hughes
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Gordon Mathers
Ricky Evans 6-4 John O’Shea
Jason Lowe 6-3 James Wade
Rob Cross 6-1 Krzysztof Kciuk
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-2 Mervyn King
William O’Connor 6-3 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Nathan Rafferty
Losers: £750

Last 32
Martijn Kleermaker 6-5 Lewy Williams
Josh Rock 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Callan Rydz 6-4 Damon Heta
Martin Schindler 6-2 Luke Humphries
Jim Williams 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Scott Williams 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith 6-2 Darius Labanauskas
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Kim Huybrechts
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Jose de Sousa
Ian White 6-4 Ryan Meikle
Adrian Lewis 6-1 Geert Nentjes
Danny Noppert 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Joe Cullen
Ricky Evans 6-4 Jason Lowe
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-0 Rob Cross
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 William O’Connor
Losers: £1,250

Last 16
Josh Rock 6-3 Martijn Kleermaker
Martin Schindler 6-5 Callan Rydz
Jim Williams 6-5 Scott Williams
Michael Smith 6-2 Jonny Clayton
Ian White 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Danny Noppert 6-5 Adrian Lewis
Ricky Evans 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Gabriel Clemens 6-0 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Losers: £2,000

Quarter-Finals
Martin Schindler 6-1 Josh Rock
Jim Williams 6-3 Michael Smith
Danny Noppert 6-4 Ian White
Ricky Evans 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
Losers: £3,000

Semi-Finals
Jim Williams 7-5 Martin Schindler
Ricky Evans 7-4 Danny Noppert – *Noppert hits a nine-darter*
Losers: £4,000

Final
Jim Williams 8-6 Ricky Evans
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000