Gary Anderson ends three-year title drought at Players Championship Eight
Gary Anderson ended a three-year wait for a PDC ranking title by claiming glory at Players Championship Eight with an 8-5 win over Krzysztof Ratajski in the final in Hildesheim.
Anderson continued his terrific start to the season by scooping the £12,000 top prize with four ton-plus averages along the way.
The Scot, runner-up to Ross Smith at Players Championship Five last week, went one better as he returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since February 2020.
Anderson fired in six 180s and produced a stunning 170 checkout to overcome an equally resurgent Ratajski in Monday’s final.
The pair shared the opening four legs of the final, only for Anderson to seize control with a run of three straight legs – featuring the spectacular maximum finish in leg seven.
Ratajski responded to reduce the deficit to 5-4, but Anderson kept his cool, producing back-to-back 180s before pinning double five to clinch victory.
“I’m playing well. I am practicing and it’s going alright,” said a fired-up Anderson.
“I must admit, I read a tweet from Paul Nicholson saying I’m one of the world’s worst losers.
“I’m going to have a wee chat with him when I get him on the corner because there’s losing and there’s being done over.
“So which one is being a ‘bad loser’? Is it the Gary that’s getting beat and gives it ‘hands up – you played well’, or is it the boy who’s effing and blinding in your ear?
“I’ve had that in my head today and I’m gunning for them.
“I’m just here to give you a sore head and p*ss you off, which I’m doing quite well to be honest.
“Paul says I’m a bad loser, well we’ll see.
“I’m just back playing darts and enjoying it. It’s been something I’ve not wanted to do for the last three years.
“I usually come here and I’ve got a face like fizz because I’ve had two flights and a taxi but I’ve had a good laugh this weekend.
“I’ve spent 28/29 years of my life out of a suitcase – I like being at home, so for me to come here and play darts, it’s a step forward and it’s giving a lot of folk headaches.”
Anderson boasted a tournament average of 100 across his seven matches, kicking off his campaign with battling wins over Jamie Hughes and Jelle Klaasen.
He then moved through to the Last 16 with an impressive 6-4 success against top seed Luke Humphries, before averaging 110.5 to dump out Premier League star Dimitri Van den Bergh.
The 52-year-old continued his charge with a convincing Quarter-Final win over Dutch prospect Gian van Veen, which he followed with an emphatic 7-3 victory over rival Gerwyn Price.
Meanwhile, fresh from reaching Sunday’s Semi-Finals, Ratajski capped off a terrific weekend by reaching his first ProTour final since last August.
Poland’s number one eased through to the Last 16 with wins over Richie Burnett, Ryan Meikle and Boris Krcmar, before averaging over 107 to complete a last-leg win over Dave Chisnall.
Ratajski converted successive ton-plus finishes to edge out Brendan Dolan in the Quarter-Finals, and a stunning 109 average saw him dispatch Ricardo Pietreczko to seal his spot in the final.
German youngster Pietreczko performed superbly in reaching his second ProTour Semi-Final, whitewashing Keegan Brown and dumping out Jonny Clayton and European Champion Ross Smith on home soil.
Price defeated his Premier League rival Michael van Gerwen en route to reaching the Semi-Finals, denying the Dutchman back-to-back titles.
The Welshman also averaged 105 in wins over Ricky Evans and Scott Williams, before later claiming a deciding-leg win against Luke Woodhouse in the Last Eight.
Woodhouse was featuring in his first ranking Quarter-Final of 2023, exiting at the same stage as Players Championship Five winner Smith, emerging Dutchman Van Veen and Sunday’s nine-dart hero Dolan.
Monday’s action also featured a nine-darter from William O’Connor, who achieved perfection in his opening round demolition of Jimmy Hendriks.
Chisnall produced the performance of the day in Germany, averaging 117.4 in his first round victory over Kevin Burness, before succumbing to Ratajski in a dramatic Last 16 tussle.
Sunday’s runner-up Josh Rock was beaten by Van Veen in Round One, while Chris Dobey, Danny Noppert and Joe Cullen were also among the First Round casualties.
Fallon Sherrock’s ProTour debut ended in a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde in the opening round.
Players Championship Eight Results
Monday March 20
Last 128
Gary Anderson 6-3 Jamie Hughes
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Robert Owen
Luke Humphries 6-2 Jeff Smith
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Stefan Bellmont
Gabriel Clemens 6-2 Darius Labanauskas
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-2 John O’Shea
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 Graham Usher
Alan Soutar 6-4 Keane Barry
Josh Payne 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Thibault Tricole 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Gian van Veen 6-5 Josh Rock
Owen Roelofs 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Mike De Decker 6-0 Chris Dobey
Christian Kist 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Cam Crabtree 6-3 Martin Schindler
William O’Connor 6-1 Jimmy Hendriks – *O’Connor hits a nine-darter*
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Jim Williams
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Jules van Dongen
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 George Killington
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-2 Arron Monk
Madars Razma 6-2 Jamie Clark
Scott Williams 6-4 Dylan Slevin
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Lee Evans
Ricky Evans 6-4 Nick Kenny
Daniel Klose 6-4 Steve Beaton
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
Damon Heta 6-3 Stephen Burton
Berry van Peer 6-1 Shaun Wilkinson
James Wade 6-1 Danny Jansen
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Jacques Labre
Owen Bates 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Ted Evetts 6-5 Scott Waites
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Geert Nentjes 6-2 Connor Scutt
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Kevin Burness
Richard Veenstra 6-1 Radek Szaganski
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Richie Burnett
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Danny van Trijp
Boris Krcmar 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Lukas Wenig 6-3 Robbie Knops
Brendan Dolan 6-0 Graham Hall
Florian Hempel 6-5 Luc Peters
Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Danny Noppert
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-2 Fallon Sherrock
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-2 Adam Gawlas
Pascal Rupprecht 6-2 Tony Martinez
Andy Boulton 6-3 Joe Cullen
James Hurrell 6-4 Alex Spellman
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Ross Montgomery 6-5 Ian White
Damian Mol 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Matt Campbell 6-2 Jose Justicia
Ross Smith 6-0 Chris Landman
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Bradley Brooks
Jurjen van der Velde 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Adam Warner 6-2 Callum Goffin
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-3 Martin Lukeman
Mervyn King 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts
Keegan Brown 6-3 Rob Cross
Devon Petersen 6-1 Brian Raman
Steve Lennon 6-3 Callan Rydz
Lewis Williams 6-2 Martijn Kleermaker
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Darren Webster
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-1 Vladimir Andersen
Second Round
Gary Anderson 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Luke Humphries 6-3 Niels Zonneveld
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-1 Alan Soutar
Thibault Tricole 6-4 Josh Payne
Gian van Veen 6-5 Owen Roelofs
Mike De Decker 6-4 Christian Kist
William O’Connor 6-3 Cam Crabtree
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven
Scott Williams 6-4 Madars Razma
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Ricky Evans
Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Daniel Klose
Damon Heta 6-5 Berry van Peer
James Wade 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Owen Bates 6-5 Ted Evetts
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Geert Nentjes
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Richard Veenstra
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Boris Krcmar 6-4 Lukas Wenig
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Florian Hempel
Karel Sedlacek 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Pascal Rupprecht 6-1 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Andy Boulton 6-3 James Hurrell
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-4 Ross Montgomery
Damian Mol 6-4 Matt Campbell
Ross Smith 6-3 Cameron Menzies
Jurjen van der Velde 6-4 Adam Warner
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-2 Mervyn King
Keegan Brown 6-5 Devon Petersen
Steve Lennon 6-1 Lewis Williams
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Losers: £750
Last 32
Gary Anderson 6-4 Luke Humphries
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Gian van Veen 6-4 Thibault Tricole
Mike De Decker 6-4 William O’Connor
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Simon Whitlock
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Scott Williams
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Damon Heta
James Wade 6-2 Owen Bates
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Boris Krcmar
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Andy Boulton 6-3 Pascal Rupprecht
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-2 Damian Mol
Ross Smith 6-3 Jurjen van der Velde
Keegan Brown 6-3 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-5 Steve Lennon
Losers: £1,250
Last 16
Gary Anderson 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Gian van Veen 6-4 Mike De Decker
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Woodhouse 6-3 James Wade
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Andy Boulton
Ross Smith 6-1 Krzysztof Kciuk
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-0 Keegan Brown
Losers: £2,000
Quarter-Finals
Gary Anderson 6-2 Gian van Veen
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-3 Ross Smith
Losers: £3,000
Semi-Finals
Gary Anderson 7-3 Gerwyn Price
Krzysztof Ratajski 7-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
Losers: £4,000
Final
Gary Anderson 8-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000
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Gary Anderson issues angry response to Paul Nicholson following Players Championship 8 triumph
A fired-up Gary Anderson has vowed to have a “wee chat” with Paul Nicholson after he was named by ‘The Asset’ as one the sport’s ‘bad losers’.
In his Sporting Life column last week, Nicholson listed Anderson as one of darts’ worst losers and referenced his involvement in a number of incidents over the years.
Nicholson wrote: ‘He’s not been happy about squeaking floorboards, noises behind him, things players have supposedly said and various other antics he believes are bad sportsmanship or etiquette.
‘You’ve got to remember that old school players were brought up with strict etiquette that the younger generation don’t necessarily subscribe to as religiously.
‘He doesn’t shy away from making his feelings known – on stage or during interviews.
‘He’s even been in bad moods after victories, such as table-gate with Mensur Suljovic at the World Championship one year, where he said he’d be ‘offski’ if gamesmanship became rife in the sport. And after his next win, he called Wayne Mardle a ‘numpty’.
‘At the 2009 UK Open, he was ready to fill me in! I beat him fair and square on his tournament debut and although my celebration was a bit aggressive, it wasn’t towards him. It was to the camera.
‘One of my old friends from Northumberland was there holding Gary back because he had a desire to take me outside! To be fair, he’s not the only player who has wanted to give me a filling in, but this altercation meant we didn’t talk for about two years.
‘We shook hands if we ever we played each other but we’d never speak. I stayed clear of him because let’s face it, if he got hold of me it wouldn’t end well for me. He’s made of very tough Scottish stuff. I was on notice.
‘Gary is a very passionate individual and I really do admire him for that – it made him the exciting, legendary player he is, with such a huge fanbase. No matter how much he might act like he’s laid back about the game these days, don’t let that kid you about his hatred of losing.
‘But he’s had issues with the likes of Gerwyn Price, Adrian Lewis, Joe Cullen, Chris Dobey and even Raymond van Barneveld in the past.’
Anderson ended a three-year wait for a PDC ranking title at Players Championship Eight in Hildesheim on Monday and was quick to call out Nicholson in his post-match interview.
The Scotsman said: “I must admit, I read a tweet from Paul Nicholson saying I’m one of the world’s worst losers.
“I’m going to have a wee chat with him when I get him on the corner because there’s losing and there’s being done over.
“So which one is being a ‘bad loser’? Is it the Gary that’s getting beaten and gives it ‘hands up – you played well’, or is it the boy who’s effing and blinding in your ear?
“I’ve had that in my head today and I’m gunning for them.
“I’m just here to give you a sore head and p*ss you off, which I’m doing quite well to be honest.
“Paul says I’m a bad loser, well we’ll see.”
Anderson defeated Krzysztof Ratajski 8-5 in the final with a 99.7 average to end his title drought and all but assure himself of a place in July’s World Matchplay via the ProTour Order of Merit.
The world number 22 has enjoyed a superb start to the season, having finished runner-up in Players Championship Five, while also qualifying for a European Tour event to end his seven-year sabbatical.
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Gary Anderson secures European Tour return at the Dutch Darts Championship
Gary Anderson ended his seven-year European Tour sabbatical by securing qualification for April’s Dutch Darts Championship.
Anderson’s most recent appearance in a Euro Tour event came at the 2016 European Darts Open in Düsseldorf, and his sole Euro Tour title to date came at the 2014 German Darts Championship.
The two-time World Champion dropped to 22nd in the PDC Order of Merit following the World Championship but has made a promising start to the season, reaching the final of Players Championship Five on Saturday.
The 52-year-old hinted during January’s Masters in Milton Keynes that he could be prepared to return to the European Tour providing there is minimal travel involved.
The Scot initially entered the Tour Card holder qualifier for the German Darts Grand Prix (ET4) last month but was beaten by Andrew Gilding.
On Monday, he came close to securing a place in April’s Austrian Darts Open, but was denied in the final qualifying round by Raymond van Barneveld.
Anderson led 4-2 and landed a sensational 167 checkout to force a deciding leg, but only for Van Barneveld to land a timely 180 and take out 72 to clinch qualification.
However, the Scotsman responded superbly in the ET6 qualifier later in the day, defeating Tony Martinez and Devon Petersen in last-leg deciders to book his place in the Dutch Championship – which takes place in Leeuwarden from April 28-30.
Elsewhere, Daryl Gurney maintained his record as the only player to have qualified for the first six European Tour events of 2023 via the Tour Card Holder qualifiers.
The two-time major champion was joined by Krzysztof Ratajski, Kim Huybrechts, Madars Razma and Jim Williams in coming through both of Monday’s qualifiers.
A resurgent Ian White and young duo Dylan Slevin and Ricardo Pietreczko also sealed a memorable double qualification.
Ten-time major winner James Wade, former Grand Slam champion Jose de Sousa and two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis missed out on both events, while 2021 World Champion Gerwyn Price opted not to compete in Monday’s double-header.
This year’s PDC European Tour features an increased prize fund of £175,000 per event, including £30,000 to the winner.
Austrian Darts Open (ET5) Tour Card Holder Qualifiers
William O’Connor
Ian White
Cameron Menzies
Jim Williams
Maik Kuivenhoven
Bradley Brooks
Ricky Evans
Daryl Gurney
Owen Roelofs
Simon Whitlock
Madars Razma
Dylan Slevin
Ricardo Pietreczko
Nick Kenny
Krzysztof Ratajski
Jeffrey de Zwaan
Chris Dobey
Matt Campbell
Kim Huybrechts
Luke Woodhouse
Raymond van Barneveld
Brendan Dolan
Mickey Mansell
Dutch Darts Championship (ET6) Tour Card Holder Qualifiers
Dylan Slevin
Adam Smith-Neale
Stephen Bunting
Martin Lukeman
Dimitri Van den Bergh
Jim Williams
Gabriel Clemens
Steve Beaton
Ross Smith
Daryl Gurney
Madars Razma
Ian White
Alan Soutar
Ricardo Pietreczko
Krzysztof Ratajski
Graham Hall
Adam Gawlas
Arron Monk
Kim Huybrechts
Gian van Veen
Gary Anderson
Keane Barry
John O’Shea
George Killington
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Gary Anderson set for European Tour qualifying return
Gary Anderson will bid to end a seven-year absence from the European Tour when he competes in the Tour Card holder qualifier for the German Darts Grand Prix on Monday.
Anderson’s most recent appearance in a European Tour event came at the 2016 European Darts Open in Düsseldorf, and his sole Euro Tour title to date came at the 2014 German Darts Championship.
The two-time World Champion dropped to 22nd in the PDC Order of Merit following the recent World Championship and has since fallen a further two places after the opening two Players Championship events of the season.
Anderson failed to progress beyond the Last 32 stage of a televised ranking tournament last season and also missed out on a place in the Grand Slam for the first time.
The 52-year-old hinted during last month’s Masters in Milton Keynes that he could be prepared to end his European Tour sabbatical providing there is minimal travel involved.
The Scot has entered Monday’s Tour Card holder qualifier in Barnsley for ET4 – which takes place in Munich from April 8-10, however he has not entered the qualifier for the International Open (ET3) in Riesa.
Other notable names in qualifying action include Raymond van Barneveld, James Wade, Chris Dobey, Jose de Sousa, Ross Smith, Daryl Gurney and Adrian Lewis.
This year’s PDC European Tour will feature an increased prize fund of £175,000 per event, including £30,000 to the winner.
ET3-4 Tour Card Holder Qualifier Entries
Monday February 20
ET3 Tour Card Holder Qualifier
Keane Barry
Steve Beaton
Bradley Brooks
Keegan Brown
Stephen Bunting
Kevin Burness
Richie Burnett
Stephen Burton
Matt Campbell
Jamie Clark
Mike De Decker
Jose de Sousa
Jeffrey De Zwaan
Chris Dobey
Kevin Doets
Brendan Dolan
Ritchie Edhouse
Lee Evans
Ricky Evans
Ted Evetts
Nick Fullwell
Adam Gawlas
Andrew Gilding
Callum Goffin
Daryl Gurney
Graham Hall
Jimmy Hendriks
Jamie Hughes
Kim Huybrechts
Ronny Huybrechts
Danny Jansen
Ryan Joyce
Jose Justicia
Krzysztof Kciuk
Nick Kenny
George Killington
Mervyn King
Martijn Kleermaker
Daniel Klose
Robbie Knops
Boris Krcmar
Maik Kuivenhoven
Darius Labanauskas
Jacques Labre
Steve Lennon
Adrian Lewis
Martin Lukeman
Mickey Mansell
Tony Martinez
Ryan Meikle
Cameron Menzies
Damian Mol
Arron Monk
Ross Montgomery
Joe Murnan
Geert Nentjes
William O’Connor
John O’Shea
Robert Owen
Josh Payne
Luc Peters
Devon Petersen
Ricardo Pietreczko
Nathan Rafferty
Brian Raman
Krzysztof Ratajski
Madars Razma
Rowby-John Rodriguez
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Owen Roelofs
Pascal Rupprecht
Callan Rydz
Connor Scutt
Ryan Searle
Karel Sedlacek
Dylan Slevin
Jeff Smith
Ross Smith
Adam Smith-Neale
Alan Soutar
Jeffrey Sparidaans
Mensur Suljovic
Radek Szaganski
Graham Usher
Raymond van Barneveld
Jurjen van der Velde
Vincent van der Voort
Jules van Dongen
Danny Van Trijp
Gian van Veen
Mario Vandenbogaerde
Richard Veenstra
James Wade
Scott Waites
Adam Warner
Jermaine Wattimena
Darren Webster
Ian White
Simon Whitlock
Shaun Wilkinson
Jim Williams
Lewy Williams
Scott Williams
James Wilson
Luke Woodhouse
Niels Zonneveld
ET4 Tour Card Holder Qualifier
Gary Anderson
Keane Barry
Steve Beaton
Bradley Brooks
Keegan Brown
Stephen Bunting
Kevin Burness
Richie Burnett
Stephen Burton
Matt Campbell
Jamie Clark
Mike De Decker
Jeffrey De Zwaan
Chris Dobey
Kevin Doets
Brendan Dolan
Ritchie Edhouse
Lee Evans
Ricky Evans
Ted Evetts
Nick Fullwell
Adam Gawlas
Andrew Gilding
Callum Goffin
Daryl Gurney
Graham Hall
Jimmy Hendriks
Jamie Hughes
Kim Huybrechts
Ronny Huybrechts
Danny Jansen
Ryan Joyce
Jose Justicia
Krzysztof Kciuk
Nick Kenny
George Killington
Mervyn King
Martijn Kleermaker
Daniel Klose
Robbie Knops
Boris Krcmar
Maik Kuivenhoven
Darius Labanauskas
Jacques Labre
Steve Lennon
Adrian Lewis
Martin Lukeman
Mickey Mansell
Tony Martinez
Ryan Meikle
Cameron Menzies
Damian Mol
Arron Monk
Ross Montgomery
Joe Murnan
Geert Nentjes
William O’Connor
John O’Shea
Robert Owen
Josh Payne
Luc Peters
Devon Petersen
Ricardo Pietreczko
Nathan Rafferty
Brian Raman
Krzysztof Ratajski
Madars Razma
Rowby-John Rodriguez
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Owen Roelofs
Pascal Rupprecht
Callan Rydz
Connor Scutt
Ryan Searle
Karel Sedlacek
Dylan Slevin
Jeff Smith
Ross Smith
Adam Smith-Neale
Alan Soutar
Jeffrey Sparidaans
Mensur Suljovic
Radek Szaganski
Graham Usher
Raymond van Barneveld
Jurjen van der Velde
Vincent van der Voort
Jules van Dongen
Danny Van Trijp
Gian van Veen
Mario Vandenbogaerde
Richard Veenstra
James Wade
Scott Waites
Adam Warner
Jermaine Wattimena
Darren Webster
Ian White
Simon Whitlock
Shaun Wilkinson
Jim Williams
Lewy Williams
Scott Williams
James Wilson
Luke Woodhouse
Niels Zonneveld
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Grand Slam of Darts 2022 Qualifier Entries | Gary Anderson opts out
The list of entries for the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts qualifier has been confirmed, with Gary Anderson having opted out of competing.
More than 100 players will battle it out in Barnsley on Sunday November 6 for the final eight places in the £650,000 ranking event.
This year’s Grand Slam of Darts will take place from November 12-20 at the Aldersley Leisure Village, with 23 of the 32 available places having already been confirmed.
The final place among the 16 automatic qualifiers will be decided following this weekend’s Players Championship double-header in Barnsley, with Rob Cross currently occupying the last provisional qualification spot following two tournament wins this season.
A further eight places will be up for grabs in the last-chance qualifier on Sunday, with notable entrants including former Grand Slam champions Jose De Sousa, Raymond van Barneveld and Scott Waites.
Three-time runner-up James Wade is bidding to preserve his ever-present record in the event since its inception in 2007, but two-time World Champion Anderson will see his 100 per cent appearance record come to an end after opting not to enter the qualifier.
Dimitri van den Bergh, Adrian Lewis, Stephen Bunting, Krzysztof Ratajski and Daryl Gurney are among the other high-profile entries.
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Grand Slam of Darts 2022 – Tour Card Holder Qualifier Entries
Danny Baggish
Keane Barry
Steve Beaton
William Borland
Andy Boulton
Bradley Brooks
John Brown
Keegan Brown
Stephen Bunting
Kevin Burness
Richie Burnett
Matt Campbell
Jamie Clark
Brett Claydon
Gabriel Clemens
Rob Cross
Mike De Decker
Jose de Sousa
Jeffrey De Zwaan
Chris Dobey
Kevin Doets
Brendan Dolan
Glen Durrant
Ritchie Edhouse
David Evans
Ricky Evans
Nick Fullwell
Adam Gawlas
Andrew Gilding
Daryl Gurney
Jason Heaver
Florian Hempel
John Henderson
Jimmy Hendriks
Max Hopp
Peter Hudson
Jamie Hughes
Adam Hunt
Kim Huybrechts
Danny Jansen
Jake Jones
Ryan Joyce
George Killington
Mervyn King
Martijn Kleermaker
Boris Krcmar
Maik Kuivenhoven
Darius Labanauskas
Steve Lennon
Adrian Lewis
Eddie Lovely
Jason Lowe
Martin Lukeman
Jack Main
Mickey Mansell
Tony Martinez
Gordon Mathers
Ryan Meikle
Cameron Menzies
Ron Meulenkamp
John Michael
Scott Mitchell
Damian Mol
Ross Montgomery
Joe Murnan
Geert Nentjes
William O’Connor
John O’Shea
Luc Peters
Devon Petersen
Ricardo Pietreczko
Brian Raman
Krzysztof Ratajski
Madars Razma
Rowby-John Rodriguez
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Callan Rydz
Martin Schindler
Connor Scutt
Jeff Smith
Alan Soutar
Mensur Suljovic
Radek Szaganski
Raymond van Barneveld
Dimitri Van den Bergh
Vincent van der Voort
Jules van Dongen
Berry van Peer
Mario Vandenbogaerde
James Wade
Scott Waites
Jermaine Wattimena
Darren Webster
Steve West
Ian White
Shaun Wilkinson
Jim Williams
James Wilson
Luke Woodhouse
Jon Worsley
Niels Zonneveld
Grand Slam of Darts 2022 – Current Qualifiers
2021/22 PDC World Champion – PETER WRIGHT
2021 Grand Slam Champion – GERWYN PRICE
2022 Premier League Champion – MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
2022 World Matchplay Champion – (Michael van Gerwen)
2022 World Grand Prix Champion – (Michael van Gerwen)
2022 Masters Champion – JOE CULLEN
2022 UK Open Champion – DANNY NOPPERT
2022 European Champion – ROSS SMITH
2021 Players Championship Finals Champion – (Peter Wright)
2022 World Series of Darts Finals Champion – (Gerwyn Price)
2022 World Cup Champions x2 – DAMON HETA & SIMON WHITLOCK
2021/22 PDC World Championship runner-up – MICHAEL SMITH
2021 Grand Slam runner-up – (Peter Wright)
2022 Premier League runner-up – (Joe Cullen)
2022 World Matchplay runner-up – (Gerwyn Price)
2022 World Grand Prix runner-up – NATHAN ASPINALL
2022 Masters runner-up – DAVE CHISNALL
2022 UK Open runner-up – (Michael Smith)
2022 European Championship runner-up – (Michael Smith)
2021 Players Championship Finals runner-up – RYAN SEARLE
2022 World Series of Darts Finals runners-up – DIRK VAN DUIJVENBODE
2022 World Cup runners-up x2 – (Gerwyn Price &) JONNY CLAYTON
2022 European Tour Event Winners
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order
LUKE HUMPHRIES (x4)
(Michael van Gerwen) (x3)
(Gerwyn Price)
(Michael Smith)
(Joe Cullen)
(Peter Wright)
(Dave Chisnall)
(Damon Heta)
2022 Players Championship Event Winners
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order
Rob Cross (2)
Brendan Dolan
Adrian Lewis
Keegan Brown
Jim Williams
Scott Williams
Danny Jansen
Currently: Rob Cross with the PC29+30 remaining
Additional Qualifiers
2021 World Youth Champion – TED EVETTS
2021 World Youth Championship runner-up – NATHAN RAFFERTY
2022 Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner – SCOTT WILLIAMS
2022 Development Tour Order of Merit – JOSH ROCK
2022 Women’s World Matchplay Winner – FALLON SHERROCK
2022 Women’s Series Order of Merit Winner – LISA ASHTON
2022 PDC Asian Championship Winner – CHRISTIAN PEREZ
2022 North American Championship Winner – LEONARD GATES
Gary Anderson returns to winning ways on Night Six of Premier League Darts
Gary Anderson kick-started his Premier League campaign by claiming the Night Six title in Nottingham on Thursday with victory over Michael Smith in the final.
Anderson had failed to register a win since the opening night of the competition in Cardiff last month but stopped the rot in style to move off the foot of the table.
The two-time Premier League champion produced his best display of the season so far to claim the £10,000 bonus at the Motorpoint Arena, becoming the fifth different winner from the opening six nights.
The Scot survived a missed dart at the bullseye from Jonny Clayton to win the deciding leg of their Quarter-Final clash, before seeing off World Cup-winning team-mate Peter Wright 6-3 by hitting six doubles from nine attempts.
He opened the final against Smith with a majestic ten-darter, and though the UK Open runner-up finished 105 and then moved 2-1 up, Anderson produced a blistering burst to pull clear.
Double eight levelled for Anderson, before legs of 12 and 13 darts were followed by a 74 finish as he moved 5-2 ahead.
Smith finished double eight for a 13-darter to respond in leg eight and took out 68 to pull back to just one leg behind his former mentor.
However, Anderson regained breathing space with a 177 score in the next and took out double four for the win, ending the final with a 104.2 average.
“I’m off the bottom of the table and I’m happy,” admitted Anderson. “Just to get two points would have done me, I’d have been happy.
“It was a struggle against Jonny, I played a bit better against Peter and I played well against Michael. When I got to near the winning line I was panicking a bit!
“I’m surprised, after the way I’ve been playing. It’s been an absolute nightmare. It’s soul-destroying when you turn up week-in, week-out and get beaten, and you’re hitting 89 averages.
“Once we step on that stage, even if you know you’re struggling, you still want to win.
“On the practice board, everything’s fine but when I come up [on stage] everything’s not right so that’s up to me to sort out.”
The defeat means Smith has lost out twice in Premier League finals in as many weeks, having also been the Brighton runner-up.
The two-time World Championship finalist was a clinical 6-1 winner against James Wade in the Quarter-Finals, before reeling off six straight legs in a stunning comeback win over Gerwyn Price in the Semi-Finals.
On his return to action following a hand injury which ruled him out of Night Five, Price ended Michael van Gerwen’s bid to win a third successive night with an impressive 6-4 Quarter-Final success, having trailed 3-1.
Wright also returned to action, having withdrawn midway through last weekend’s German Championship due to a back problem, and saw off a struggling Joe Cullen 6-4 in the Quarter-Finals.
The Premier League will return to the Netherlands for the first time since 2019 for Night Seven of the competition at the Rotterdam Ahoy next Thursday.
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Premier League Darts 2022 – Night Six Results
Thursday March 17
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith 6-1 James Wade
Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Gerwyn Price
Gary Anderson 6-5 Jonny Clayton
Joe Cullen 4-6 Peter Wright
Semi-Finals
Michael Smith 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Gary Anderson 6-3 Peter Wright
Final
Gary Anderson 6-4 Michael Smith
Gary Anderson opts out of 2021 World Cup of Darts
Gary Anderson has opted out of representing Scotland at the 2021 World Cup of Darts and will be replaced by John Henderson.
Anderson, who partnered Peter Wright to glory in 2019, pulled out of last year’s behind closed doors event in Salzburg and has declined the chance to pull on the Scotland shirt again this month.
Wright also missed last year’s event due to travel concerns but has confirmed he will return to captain the Scottish side in Jena from September 9-12.
World number 44 Henderson partnered Robert Thornton last time around and will return to the line-up alongside reigning World Matchplay champion Wright.
Anderson will not feature in either of the two European Tour events this season and will consequently miss the European Championship as he remains on home soil.
The full line-up for the 32-nation tournament is expected to be confirmed next week.
The top eight teams will be seeded in the draw based on combined Order of Merit rankings and the remaining 24 teams will be unseeded in the First Round.
Gary Anderson pays tribute to “gentleman” Andy Fordham
Gary Anderson has paid tribute to darting great Andy Fordham, who passed away last week following a long health battle.
Fordham was one of the sport’s most recognisable faces over a period of two decades and his greatest triumph saw him claim the BDO world title in 2004.
Having also won the World Masters in 1999, Fordham was a regular in the latter stages of major tournaments and made 12 World Championship appearances between 1995 and 2006.
He passed away on Friday aged 59 following multiple health complications.
Anderson joined the BDO in 2000 and faced Fordham in only his second Lakeside appearance three years later, prevailing by three sets to one in the Second Round.
Fordham would go on to clinch the Lakeside crown the following year, and Anderson has described ‘The Viking’ as “an absolute gentleman”.
“I’d known Andy for a long time – an absolute gentleman,” he told Live Darts.
“Like myself, he was one of the laziest dart players but he was very, very good!
“He would sit on his backside all day but then go up and play good darts, he was absolutely fantastic.
“If you mention dart players from the past, you had Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson, Andy Fordham, they’re the boys who were always mentioned.
“Andy was a gentleman and he’ll be sadly missed in the darting world.”
Tributes have poured in for one of the sport’s most loved characters, and Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle has recalled the time he spent in Fordham’s company during his playing years.
“We were doing exhibitions in Holland from 2000 to about 2006 and I’ve shared hotel rooms with Andy and there was one time when we shared a bed,” said Mardle on air during the opening night of the World Matchplay.
“There was a mix-up with the hotel rooms, let’s say!
“He was brilliant to be around. He was a fun character, he was a masterful and brilliant darts player but he was a better human being than that.
“I’ll miss him, of course, and the darting world will miss a legend, that’s for sure.”
Three-time World Champion John Part recalled: “From the first time I travelled to England to play the Welsh Open after I won the BDO tournament in 1994 I was staying with Martin Adams and we were driving from where he lived near Peterborough to Wales and we picked up Andy along the way.
“We had a long car ride with Andy so we really got to know him. To know Andy there were never any problems, or anything but levity and joy really.
“We soon found out how well he could play darts. He was extremely talented and a dangerous opponent around the time I was playing in ’94, it took him 10 years to become a world champion from that point.
“It was never a surprise, but in fact people were surprised it took him that long.
“He had a talent for sure and he knew it.”
Mervyn King, who lost to Fordham in the 2004 Lakeside final, laughed: “I always said to him he was lucky I let him win!
“It was great to play Andy in the final, being a good friend.
“We had been friends for a lot of years and it was one of those things you hope for but never think will happen.
“The game itself, I can’t really remember a great deal about it apart from the 101 checkout I had and his winning dart where he hit the double to win.”
Andy Fordham (1962-2021) (Photo by Lawrence Lustig/PDC)
Gary Anderson insists he WILL win another World Championship title after extending Unicorn contract
Gary Anderson insists he “will win” a third World Championship title after committing his future with a new long-term contract with Unicorn.
Anderson, who was beaten by rival Gerwyn Price in the final at Alexandra Palace earlier this month, had been subject to speculation over his immediate future in the PDC.
However, the 50-year-old has quashed any suggestion of an impeding retirement by extending his contract with darts manufacturer Unicorn.
Anderson signed with Unicorn in 2011 and has extended his decade-long partnership in a quest to add to his haul of major titles in the coming years.
The fired-up Flying Scotsman vowed: “I will win another [world title] for sure!”
“I have that hunger and desire back and despite everything, I still love playing this game.
“I’m old school and just want to play darts the way it should be played and I want to prove a point to all the doubters but more importantly to myself.
“The last year has been tough for everyone but it is time for me to take up the challenge with Unicorn in my corner.
“They have stood by me for over a decade and it is the perfect partnership all round.”
Anderson’s run to the world final saw him regain a place in the world’s top eight and affirm himself as one of the most formidable players on planet darts.
Runner-up in the World Matchplay last July, the Scot hit the headlines for his outbursts regarding ‘gamesmanship’ in the sport during the Grand Slam and William Hill World Championship.
He insists he still has a point to prove and relishes the heat of battle on the big stage.
“I really savour the combat on the big stages in the big tournaments,” added Anderson. “In the last few months I managed to get to the two biggest finals at the World Matchplay and World Championship without playing well.
“I truly believe if I can get to anywhere near my best, I will be a major threat.
“There isn’t just one dominating. We all know how good Michael van Gerwen is but nobody is scared of him anymore.
“[Gerwyn] Price is a deserved World Champion. Peter Wright will still be challenging. Jose de Sousa has already proved how good he is and I’m a big fan of Nathan Aspinall, while Joe Cullen and Devon Petersen are now in the mix.”
Anderson will begin the 2021 campaign at The Masters in Milton Keynes this weekend, awaiting the winner of the First Round clash between Michael Smith and Adrian Lewis.
Gerwyn Price v Gary Anderson: World Darts Championship final 2020/21 preview: Box office duo vie for world title
Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson renew their rivalry in the most important fixture of all as they face off in the 2020/21 World Darts Championship final on Sunday.
The box office duo are set to provide a fitting climax to what has been a unique and fascinating William Hill World Championship as they vie for the sport’s ultimate prize.
For Anderson, this marks his fifth appearance in a PDC World Championship final, while Price finds himself in a first as he looks to create a slice of history.
Price has gone one better than his run to the Semi-Finals last year, where he was beaten by eventual champion Peter Wright, and is out to culminate a sensational season by lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy.
The world number three has already claimed World Grand Prix, World Series Finals and World Cup of Darts glory this term and now stands on the cusp of becoming the first Welshman ever to win a PDC world title.
The 35-year-old has had to do it the hard way in reaching the final at Alexandra Palace, coming through two sudden death legs as well as mounting a superb Semi-Final fightback.
He began by edging out Welsh compatriot Jamie Lewis 3-2 in the Last 64 before narrowly denying Brendan Dolan in a last-leg shoot-out.
Price was then clinical in thrashing Mervyn King 4-1 in the Last 16, but again needed a sudden death decider to deny Daryl Gurney in the Quarter-Finals.
The Semi-Finals also saw him flirt with elimination after going 3-1 down to Stephen Bunting, only to reel off five of the next six sets to set up a date with destiny.
As well as the world title on the line, ‘The Ice Man’ also knows he that if he was to be crowned World Champion on Sunday night, he would also become the new world number one, ending MVG’s seven-year reign.
Anderson, meanwhile, is bidding for a third William Hill World Championship title, having reigned consecutively in 2015 and 2016.
He was also runner-up in 2011 and 2017 has continued his terrific run of consistency on the sport’s most iconic stage despite an indifferent year coming into the event.
Anderson, who celebrated his 50th birthday less than fortnight ago, headed to Ally Pally as a 33/1 outsider, having struggled with injury woes in recent months.
However, he has defied those odds and is now on the verge of becoming Scotland’s most decorated World Champion, eclipsing the joint tally he shares with the great Jocky Wilson.
Anderson kicked with a 3-1 win over Latvia’s Madars Razma, before edging out Mensur Suljovic 4-3 in a marathon contest, after which he launched a furious tirade on the Austrian in his post-match interview.
That appeared to fire up ‘The Flying Scotsman’ – who went on to whitewash Devon Petersen 4-0 before thrashing an in-form Dirk van Duijenbode 5-1 with a 101 average.
The World Matchplay finalist sealed his spot in the final by dispatching Dave Chisnall 6-3 with a 100 average on Saturday night.
There is little to choose between Price and Anderson in terms of their overall head-to-head record, with the Scotsman narrowly edging it 8-7, though ‘The Ice Man’ has won five of their last seven meetings.
The final signals a repeat of the infamous 2018 Grand Slam final, which Price won 16-13 after one of the most controversial matches ever contested.
Price was handed a record £21,500 in fines and a suspended three-month ban for his antics, while Anderson was given a formal warning by the DRA.
The pair have since buried the hatchet but will be fired-up in their quest to land the £500,000 first prize and stand on top of the world of darts.
The final gets underway from 7.30pm GMT and will be contested over the best of 13 sets, best of five legs per set.
In a change from previous World Darts Championship rules to reduce the possibility of sessions over-running, there will be no tie-break. Should the deciding set reach two-all, the fifth leg would be the final leg.
WATCH GERWYN PRICE vs GARY ANDERSON STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)
Price v Anderson – Player’s View:
Price: “I’m here to win this and I’m in the final so I’ve got every chance now.
“I’m full of confidence after that game [Semi-Final]. I definitely improved for this match but there is a lot more in the tank.
“I always seem to find that bit of extra edge when I need to and I know I have got what it takes to win the final.
“The trophy’s coming home to the right place!”
Anderson: “I’ve come here with no expectations whatsoever but I’ve managed to make it through to the final so it can’t be bad.
“I feel like I’ve played alright for most of this tournament and I’ll give it a good go in the final.
“I think I need to play better against Gerwyn but I’ll just play my darts and he’ll play his. I’ll be quiet and he’ll be loud and we’ll see how it goes.
“If I can shut him out, he won’t be able to celebrate.
“For Wayne [Mardle] and Rod [Harrington] to call me a “three-time World Champion” – it’d be great.”
Anderson blasts Suljovic’s slow play as “absolute bull” following gruelling World Championship clash
A furious Gary Anderson has hit out at Mensur Suljovic’s apparent gamesmanship during their World Championship clash at Alexandra Palace on Monday.
Anderson battled back from 3-2 down to close out a 4-3 victory in a marathon Third Round contest which saw Suljovic dictate the pace of the game.
The Austrian appeared to slow down the two-time World Champion in the early stages of the match before picking up the pace midway through.
Anderson dug deep to reach the Last 16 for the eleventh consecutive year but expressed his fury at Suljovic’s tactics in a post-match interview with Sky Sports.
He described the game as: “Absolutely dire, an absolute joke of a game.
“Everyone says ‘why do you get cheesed off with darts?’, that’s one of the reasons. Absolute bull.
“For a start, we were told what tables we were on and I ended up on the wrong table for the duration of the game.
“I thought even Sky would have picked up on what tables the players should have been on for a start.
“Just before we went on stage we were told what tables we were on, Mensur went to the wrong table.
“I’m not going to say anything because it’s up to the refs and the staff.
“As usual, nothing was said and I had to bite the bullet and get on with it.
“You’re walking past the table you should be at, but you’ve got to cut across because the boy’s standing there.
“The next minute you go across he’s not there. What have you to do? My head was gone after the first set. I’d lost the plot.”
Anderson missed 33 darts at doubles and averaged 92.5 in an epic struggle to set up a Last 16 tie with either Devon Petersen or Jason Lowe.
The Scot, who turned 50 last week, admits he felt sorry for the TV audience and says he would not have blamed them for changing the channel.
“I nicked it at the end,” added Anderson. “I don’t know how but if that’s how darts is going then I’m off – I’m away for a game of golf or something. I’m not going through that again.
“Did you watch the last set? Or the third set? Was he slow then? No he wasn’t.
“I just want to play darts. I’m sure there are 90% of folk watching at home, they probably turned over and watched Corrie or something – I would have.
“There’s a lot of things that go on now, I just want to throw darts and if you get spanked, the boy’s been better than you and beaten you – shake his hand and on you go.
“But that’s a load of tripe.
“I feel sorry for the folk who watched it.”
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2015 ?
2016 ?Can @GaryAnderson180 add a third @WilliamHill World Championship title to his collection? ???????
We take a look at his Career In Numbers ? #WHDarts pic.twitter.com/ZKUJlAXzN1
— Live Darts (@livedarts) December 28, 2020