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Players Championship Finals 2023 | Day Two Preview and Order of Play

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Players Championship Finals 2023 | Day Three Preview and Order of Play

Record-breaking Michael van Gerwen reaches Players Championship Finals Quarter-Finals

Jamie Shaw in Players Championship Finals 26 Nov 2023

Van Gerwen salutes the crowd (Photo by Kieran Cleeves/PDC)

Michael van Gerwen produced a record-breaking display as he continued the defence of his Players Championship Finals title in Minehead on Saturday.

Van Gerwen produced the highest average in Players Championship Finals history in his Second Round rout of Ross Smith, averaging 118.52 on his way to a 6-1 success.

The seven-time champion registered legs of 10, 18, 12, 11, 12 and 12 darts to cap off a breath-taking display, with European Champion Smith averaging over 104 in defeat.

Van Gerwen was less spectacular in his Third Round victory over Mario Vandenbogaerde despite winning six of the last eight legs to run out a 10-6 winner against the veteran Belgian.

“When things go well, I know how well I can play,” said Van Gerwen.

“It’s nice to produce a game like this, because you know you’ve got that game in you. You want to show this time after time, but you also need a good opponent!

“It was a battle against Mario, but the most important thing is that I won, and going through to the quarter-finals gives me an extra boost, and I feel good about it.”

Van Gerwen’s will meet Stephen Bunting in Sunday’s Quarter-Finals after the Grand Slam semi-finalist followed up his demolition of Gian van Veen with a 10-8 victory over 2012 runner-up Kim Huybrechts.

Bunting averaged almost 105 and landed a trio of ton-plus finishes to dispatch Dutch star Van Veen, before rallying from 8-7 down to deny the Belgian – aided by five maximums.

However, Van Gerwen remains on a potential collision course with Luke Humphries – who saw off Radek Szaganski and Ryan Searle to maintain his bid for a third major title in the space of seven weeks.

Humphries whitewashed a shell-shocked Szaganski in just nine minutes, averaging 107 and converting all six of his attempts at doubles.

The newly crowned World Grand Prix and Grand Slam champion then delivered another ton-topping average against Searle, fending off a late rally from the Somerset star to triumph 10-7.

“Ryan is so underrated. He’s one of the toughest players to beat,” claimed Humphries, having raced into a 6-1 lead before sealing his progress with a 103 average.

“Ryan came back well, but I don’t panic any more. I’ve had a great couple of months, I’m relaxed and I believe in my own ability.

“These are tough days. They require a lot of energy and focus, but I’ve been able to draw on my experience from the European Tour, and I’m hoping I can go all the way again.”

Humphries will renew his rivalry with James Wade in the Last Eight, after the ten-time TV title winner overcame Steve Lennon and Dimitri Van den Bergh on Saturday.

Wade eased past Lennon 6-2, before landing a brace of ton-plus finishes against Van den Bergh to secure a place in his third consecutive major Quarter-Final.

Gabriel Clemens came through an extraordinary clash against 2022 World Youth Champion Josh Rock on his way to sealing a showdown against Luke Woodhouse.

Rock’s 112.27 average – the second highest in Players Championship Finals history – was not enough to overcome a clinical Clemens, who averaged 101 to celebrate a superb 6-3 success.

The German number one then hammered Niels Zonneveld 10-1 to book his place in a second major ranking Quarter-Final – his first since his World Championship exploits in January.

Woodhouse has also enjoyed a landmark weekend in Minehead, defeating former finalists Rob Cross and Dave Chisnall to advance to a maiden televised Quarter-Final.

Woodhouse, who also accounted for Simon Whitlock in Round One, continued his charge to move to the cusp of a place in the world’s top 32.

Elsewhere, third seed Damon Heta made it back-to-back televised quarter-finals with battling wins over Kevin Doets and Brendan Dolan to seal his place in the Last Eight.

The Australian came through a scrappy affair against Doets in Round Two, before averaging 99 and landing finishes of 124, 125 and 128 to complete a 10-8 success against over a spirited Dolan.

Heta will face Ryan Joyce on Sunday afternoon after the 38-year-old saw off Joe Cullen and Jermaine Wattimena to advance to his first major ranking quarter-final for almost five years.

Joyce punished a sloppy doubling display from former Masters champion Cullen in Round Two, before reeling off four straight legs from 7-6 down to deny Wattimena later in the evening.

Earlier in the day, top seed Gerwyn Price suffered a shock 6-1 defeat to Kim Huybrechts in Round Two, while 2014 champion Gary Anderson was edged out by Van den Bergh at the same stage.

2017 runner-up Jonny Clayton was swept aside by an impressive Zonneveld in the Second Round, while Chisnall averaged almost 110 to inflict a 6-4 defeat on Masters champion Chris Dobey.

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Players Championship Finals 2023 Day Two Results

Saturday November 25

Afternoon Session

Second Round

Main Stage
Gary Anderson 5-6 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Damon Heta 6-4 Kevin Doets
Gerwyn Price 1-6 Kim Huybrechts
Ross Smith 1-6 Michael van Gerwen
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Chris Dobey
Luke Humphries 6-0 Radek Szaganski
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Richard Veenstra

Stage Two
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Gian van Veen
Ryan Searle 6-3 Ricardo Pietreczko
Matt Campbell 2-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Maik Kuivenhoven 5-6 Brendan Dolan
Rob Cross 3-6 Luke Woodhouse
Josh Rock 3-6 Gabriel Clemens
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Joe Cullen
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Niels Zonneveld
James Wade 6-2 Steve Lennon

Evening Session

Third Round

Main Stage
Kim Huybrechts 8-10 Stephen Bunting
Michael van Gerwen 10-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Luke Humphries 10-7 Ryan Searle
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-10 James Wade

Stage Two
Damon Heta 10-8 Brendan Dolan
Dave Chisnall 8-10 Luke Woodhouse
Gabriel Clemens 10-1 Niels Zonneveld
Jermaine Wattimena 7-10 Ryan Joyce

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Record-breaking Michael van Gerwen reaches Players Championship Finals Quarter-Finals

Players Championship Finals 2023 Day Two Results

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