Michael Smith secures first silverware of 2024 at Players Championship 9
Michael Smith claimed his first ranking title of the season at Players Championship 9 with an 8-6 win over Ryan Joyce in the final in Hildesheim.
The Premier League star had not tasted victory on the circuit since winning Players Championship 13 in June 2023, and had previously only reached one semi-final this year.
However, he scooped the £15,000 ProTour title on Monday to become the ninth different winner in as many Players Championship events so far this year.
Smith’s run to the title included whitewashes of Adam Hunt and Richard Veenstra and ton-plus averages of 106 and 110 against Jonny Clayton and Luke Woodhouse respectively.
He also defeated Oskar Lukasiak and Krzysztof Ratajski before battling his way to the title against Joyce.
Joyce found himself 3-1 down in the final but turned the game on its head in a four-leg burst to lead 5-3 – landing legs of 12 and 13 darts with the throw in the process after punishing Smith’s misses in leg five.
Smith responded with three straight legs of his own to wrestle back the advantage as a 12-darter moved the 2023 World Champion 6-5 in front.
Joyce levelled in leg 12, but Smith fired in a crucial tops to regain the lead before double eight completed a 14-darter for victory.
“I’ve finally got my name back in that winner’s circle again and I’m over the moon,” said Smith.
“It’s been hard. I was so far behind but if he was going to keep giving me chances I had to take them.
“An 88 average in a final is not good, but it’s my first title in nearly 12 months.”
Smith will return to Premier League action in Leeds on Thursday, as he continues his bid for a Play-Off place.
He added: “It’s full focus for tomorrow and hopefully I win it again so I’ll be flying home on Wednesday, and then [Leeds] is where my focus will be.
“It’s in my own hands now, I’m two points behind Michael [van Gerwen] and three behind Nathan [Aspinall]. Wednesday I’ll start thinking about Thursday night.”
Joyce also enjoyed his best run of the season so far as he reached the final for the first time since winning Players Championship 26 last October.
His run included victories over former World Champion Raymond van Barneveld, top seed Dave Chisnall and former Masters winner Chris Dobey, before seeing off in-form Ritchie Edhouse in the semi-finals.
Edhouse was a European Tour quarter-finalist in Germany last month, and he reached the Last Four with five wins on Monday, including a defeat of former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and a quarter-final win over Callan Rydz.
Ratajski’s semi-final appearance was his best display on the circuit since winning the German Open last September, with a 104.5 average in his quarter-final win over Masters champion Stephen Bunting being his highlight.
Chisnall, Van Barneveld and Dobey joined Smith in producing 105+ averages during the event, as did Dutchman Danny van Trijp during his first round defeat to Daryl Gurney.
Michael van Gerwen was among the notable early casualties as he lost out to veteran Steve Beaton, while Ian White subjected Peter Wright to a first round exit.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven’s ProTour debut ended in a 6-0 whitewash at the hands of Gary Anderson – who was eventually denied in a deciding leg by Kevin Doets in the Last 32.
Players Championship 9 Results
Monday May 6
First Round
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Brett Claydon
Andy Baetens 6-4 Owen Bates
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Keegan Brown
Nick Kenny 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Nathan Rafferty 6-3 Andy Boulton
Chris Dobey 6-3 Graham Hall
Alan Soutar 6-1 Joshua Richardson
Mike De Decker 6-4 Jules van Dongen
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Paul Krohne
Ian White 6-4 Peter Wright
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-5 Shane McGuirk
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Keane Barry
Robert Grundy 6-2 Robbie Knops
Thibault Tricole 6-2 Ross Smith
Chris Landman 6-5 Danny Lauby
Callan Rydz 6-5 Wesley Plaisier
George Killington 6-3 Matthew Dennant
Steve Beaton 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Scott Williams 6-3 Rene Eidams
Cameron Menzies 6-5 James Wade
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-4 Madars Razma
Darren Beveridge 6-4 Danny Noppert
Leighton Bennett 6-5 Stefan Bellmont
Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 Jim Williams
James Hurrell 6-2 Jurjen van der Velde
Mickey Mansell 6-2 Joe Cullen
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Martijn Dragt
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Cam Crabtree
Ricky Evans 6-2 Matt Campbell
Damon Heta 6-4 Owen Roelofs
Ryan Meikle 6-3 Florian Hempel
Richard Veenstra 6-5 Jamie Hughes
Adam Warner 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Josh Payne
Lukas Wenig 6-4 Pascal Rupprecht
Michael Smith 6-3 Oskar Lukasiak
Adam Hunt 6-0 Ronny Huybrechts
Haupai Puha 6-4 Josh Rock
William O’Connor 6-4 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Darryl Pilgrim 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
Patrick Geeraets 6-5 Tim Wolters
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
Christian Perez 6-3 Kai Gotthardt
Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Daniel Klose
Berry van Peer 6-5 Steve Lennon
Gary Anderson 6-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Franz Roetzsch 6-5 William Borland
Kevin Doets 6-1 Mervyn King
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven
Daryl Gurney 6-1 Danny van Trijp
Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Dom Taylor
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Richie Burnett
Danny Jansen 6-5 Geert Nentjes
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Dylan Slevin
Callum Goffin 6-1 Arron Monk
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Stephen Burton 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Gian van Veen 6-1 Jitse Van der Wal
Benjamin Drue Reus 6-3 Radek Szaganski
Lee Cocks 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Lee Evans 6-4 Rhys Griffin
Second Round
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Andy Baetens
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Nick Kenny
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Nathan Rafferty
Chris Dobey 6-4 Alan Soutar
Adam Gawlas 6-4 Mike De Decker
Ian White 6-1 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Robert Grundy 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Thibault Tricole 6-4 Chris Landman
Callan Rydz 6-4 George Killington
Scott Williams 6-2 Steve Beaton
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Darren Beveridge 6-4 Leighton Bennett
Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 James Hurrell
Wessel Nijman 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Ricky Evans
Damon Heta 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Richard Veenstra 6-0 Adam Warner
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Lukas Wenig
Michael Smith 6-0 Adam Hunt
William O’Connor 6-4 Haupai Puha
Patrick Geeraets 6-2 Darryl Pilgrim
Christian Perez 6-1 Kim Huybrechts
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Berry van Peer
Gary Anderson 6-3 Franz Roetzsch
Kevin Doets 6-2 Jermaine Wattimena
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Danny Jansen
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Callum Goffin
Stephen Burton 6-3 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Gian van Veen 6-2 Benjamin Drue Reus
Lee Cocks 6-0 Lee Evans
Last 32
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Martin Lukeman
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Chris Dobey 6-0 Adam Gawlas
Robert Grundy 6-4 Ian White
Callan Rydz 6-5 Thibault Tricole
Scott Williams 6-4 Jeffrey De Graaf
Ritchie Edhouse 6-1 Darren Beveridge
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Wessel Nijman
Richard Veenstra 6-2 Damon Heta
Michael Smith 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Patrick Geeraets 6-2 William O’Connor
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Christian Perez
Kevin Doets 6-5 Gary Anderson
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Daryl Gurney
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Stephen Burton
Gian van Veen 6-5 Lee Cocks
Last 16
Ryan Joyce 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Chris Dobey 6-2 Robert Grundy
Callan Rydz 6-3 Scott Williams
Ritchie Edhouse 6-0 Andrew Gilding
Michael Smith 6-0 Richard Veenstra
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Patrick Geeraets
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Kevin Doets
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Gian van Veen
Quarter-Finals
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Chris Dobey
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Callan Rydz
Michael Smith 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Semi-Finals
Ryan Joyce 7-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Michael Smith 7-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Final
Michael Smith 8-6 Ryan Joyce
