Gary Anderson picked up his first PDC title of the year on Tuesday, with an 8-5 victory against Ryan Searle in the final of Players Championship, as the opening double header of the 2024 Pro Tour season concluded at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan.
Anderson, who picked up three Players Championship titles during his 2023 campaign, returned to the winners’ circle once again, as he reached the final firstly by recording victories against Daniel Klose, Adam Gawlas, Daryl Gurney, Andy Baetens, Raymond Van Barneveld and Peter Wright, to set up a clash with his sometime practice partner Searle.
The final began with Anderson racing into a 2-0 lead, with winning legs coming in a total of 40 darts, before Searle rattled off three consecutive legs, which included back-to-back 15 darters to move 3-2 ahead in a race to eight.
Anderson won the following leg in 17 darts, before there was a run of three straight breaks of throw between the pair, ending with ‘The Flying Scotsman’ holding throw in Leg 10 with a 15 darter to move 6-4 ahead and within one of victory. Searle did pull one leg back, before the 2x World Champion won back-to-back legs in a total of 22 darts to seal an 8-5 victory and claim a staggering 28th Players Championship title of his luxurious career.
Searle, who lost in the final of Monday’s PC1, went all the way to the finale once again as he recorded victories on the day against Callum Goffin, Brett Claydon, Adam Hunt, Arron Monk, Niels Zonneveld and Martin Lukeman, before being denied by Anderson and losing out in successive tournament deciders.
Elsewhere, there were Quarter Final runs for 3x PDC ranking title winner Callan Rydz and Former UK Open Semi Finalist Robert Owen, whilst there were first round exits for World Champion Luke Humphries, Former World Champion Michael Smith and Number One Seed Dave Chisnall, with PC1 winner Luke Littler exiting in Round Two.
The PDC Pro Tour returns next week in Leicester with Players Championship Three & Four taking place between 19-20th February, with the 128 players competing for £125,000 in prize money each day, as play begins at 13:00 GMT.
The event will be broadcasted across four streaming boards on PDC.TV and various bookmaker websites worldwide, with all live scores and results on tv.dartconnect.com.
Players Championship (Event 2)
Results
Last 16
Peter Wright 6-2 Cameron Menzies
Robert Owen 6-4 Ryan Joyce
Raymond Van Barneveld 6-4 Gian Van Veen
Gary Anderson 6-0 Andy Baetens
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Chris Dobey
Callan Rydz 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Ryan Searle 6-1 Arron Monk
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Paul Krohne
Quarter Finals
Peter Wright 6-2 Robert Owen
Gary Anderson 6-3 Raymond Van Barneveld
Martin Lukeman 6-2 Callan Rydz
Ryan Searle 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Semi Finals
Gary Anderson 7-5 Peter Wright
Ryan Searle 7-6 Martin Lukeman
Final
Gary Anderson 8-5 Ryan Searle
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC
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