Man for all seasons, James Wade once again showed why he’s the Rolls Royce of the darting circuit, claiming Players Championship 19 with a turbo-charged performance as he defeated Scott Williams 8-5 in the final.
In a glorious career spanning more than three decades, the Aldershot Ace remains a force to be reckoned with, and this latest triumph lifts him to eighth in the world rankings. Wade signalled his intent from the off, opening with a ton-plus average to ease past Brett Claydon 6-2. He followed that with a win by the same scoreline over Josh Richardson before edging out old rival Peter Wright, pinching it in a thriller.
Rising Dutch star Kevin Doets put in a solid effort, but The Machine was now purring – closing with an average just shy of 104. From one promising Dutchman to one that’s absolutely flying – Gian van Veen. Leading 4-0 and throwing magnificently, the recent Netherlands World Cup star looked set for victory. But unlike last weekend in Frankfurt during the group stages, six legs were needed – and Gian could only watch as Wade reeled off half a dozen on the bounce to complete the turnaround.
A relatively comfortable semi-final win over the impressive Andrew Gilding put Wade one step from another PDC title. Then in the showdown against Shaggy, the 42-year-old veteran did it in style, combining heavy scoring with a finishing masterclass – hitting eight doubles from only nine attempts. The one he missed? He nailed it with the next dart anyway.
Perhaps surprisingly, given his experience and remarkable longevity, this was the Unicorn arrow-smith’s first Players Championship title since the end of 2022. Credit to Scott Williams, who did little wrong in the final. But he ran into a man who simply wasn’t missing on the outer ring.
Elsewhere, Bradley Brookes and Alan Soutar can be proud of their efforts, both reaching the quarter-finals. Soutar, in particular, will feel hard done by after being pipped at the post by Wesley Nijman – another player who can leave the Mattioli with his head held high.
It’s more or less as you were in the World Matchplay race. Ryan Joyce, clinging to that last qualifying spot, finally added some prize money to his tally to keep the chasers at bay. Things remain tight for the Newcastle man, but heading into the final two events next month before the cut-off, he’d rather be in the lead peering through his rear-view mirror than trying to play catch up.
A pair of Euro Tour qualifiers await tomorrow before the players can head home after a hectic four days of action.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
