Michael Smith secures first title of 2022 at Players Championship 14

Michael Smith secured his first title of season at Players Championship 14 in Wigan on Tuesday, seeing off surprise package John O’Shea 8-5 in the final.

Smith is the only player in this year’s Premier League yet to have claimed a weekly title, but sealed his first ranking success of the season to take his Players Championship tally to seven.

The World Championship and UK Open finalist averaged above 97 in each of his matches from Round Two onwards in a superb display at the Robin Park Sports Centre.

He began the day with a 6-3 win over Spain’s Tony Martinez, before overcoming Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2.

Smith then saw off Ricky Evans 6-3 with a 103.5 average – his highest of the day – before going on to defeat Martin Lukeman 6-4 with a 102 average.

The St Helens ace dispatched a resurgent James Wilson 6-4 in the Quarter-Finals before reeling off seven straight legs from 2-0 down to defeat Damon Heta in the Semis.

World number 104 O’Shea had enjoyed a sensational run to his first PDC ranking final and made a bright start by landing checkouts of 105 and 120 en route to a 3-2 lead.

Smith, however, hit back with five of the next six legs to take command at 7-4, but O’Shea kept his hopes alive by taking leg 12.

The Irishman had the opportunity to further narrow the gap but squandered six darts at doubles, allowing Smith to get over the line and clinch the £12,000 top prize.

Former World Master O’Shea had defeated Nick Fullwell, Nathan Aspinall, Damian Mol, Ross Smith, Maik Kuivenhoven and Dave Chisnall on his way to the final and moves into the provisional qualification places for the World Championship.

Heta was one of two players to achieve a nine-darter on the day, striking perfection in his First Round win over Keegan Brown, while Ross Smith also produced the fear in his First Round win over Geert de Vos.

Notable First Round casualties included German Darts Grand Prix winner Luke Humphries, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld.

The 128 players will return to action for Players Championship 15 from midday on Wednesday.

WATCH PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP DARTS STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)

Players Championship 14 Results

Tuesday May 10

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

Second Round
Max Hopp 6-5 Danny van Trijp
Richie Burnett 6-4 Simon Whitlock
James Wilson 6-5 Chris Dobey
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Nathan Rafferty
Michael Smith 6-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
Ricky Evans 6-5 Mike De Decker
Matthew Edgar 6-3 Radek Szaganski
Martin Lukeman 6- 4 Ron Meulenkamp
Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Matt Campbell
Adam Gawlas 6-0 Alan Soutar
Robert Owen 6-4 Brendan Dolan
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Jose Justicia
Damon Heta 6-5 Kevin Doets
Mervyn King 6-3 Jamie Clark
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Martin Schindler
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-2 Devon Petersen
Stephen Burton 6-4 Jose de Sousa
Ryan Meikle 6-3 Ian White
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Joe Murnan
Gabriel Clemens 6-1 Jon Worsley
Shaun Wilkinson 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Pete Burgoyne 6-3 Bradley Brooks
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Cameron Menzies
Jack Main 6-5 Steve West
Joe Cullen 6-3 George Killington
Ryan Joyce 6-5 John Henderson
Peter Hudson 6-4 Danny Noppert
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 William O’Connor
John O’Shea 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Damian Mol 6-4 Geert Nentjes
John Michael 6-4 Andy Boulton
Ross Smith 6-3 Gordon Mathers
Losers: £750

Last 32
Max Hopp 6-3 Richie Burnett
James Wilson 6-2 Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith 6-3 Ricky Evans
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Matthew Edgar
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Adam Gawlas
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Robert Owen
Damon Heta 6-2 Mervyn King
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Krzysztof Kciuk
Ryan Meikle 6-2 Stephen Burton
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Gabriel Clemens
Shaun Wilkinson 6-4 Pete Burgoyne
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Jack Main
Joe Cullen 6-3 Ryan Joyce
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-1 Peter Hudson
John O’Shea 6-3 Damian Mol
Ross Smith 6-0 John Michael
Losers: £1,250

Last 16
James Wilson 6-4 Max Hopp
Michael Smith 6-4 Martin Lukeman
Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Kim Huybrechts
Damon Heta 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-0 Shaun Wilkinson
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-2 Joe Cullen
John O’Shea 6-3 Ross Smith
Losers: £2,000

Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith 6-4 James Wilson
Damon Heta 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
John O’Shea 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven
Losers: £3,000

Semi-Finals
Michael Smith 7-2 Damon Heta
John O’Shea 7-4 Dave Chisnall
Losers: £4,000

Final
Michael Smith 8-5 John O’Shea
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000