Martin Schindler secured the first Players Championship title of his career as he beat Jeffrey de Graaf 8-1 to win Players Championship Eight in Hildesheim on Tuesday.
The German number one has been making steady progress in the last 12 months, and now adds his first Players Championship crown to the two European Tour titles he won in 2024.
Schindler made light work of his opponent in the final, charging into a 5-0 lead without reply, before sinking a match-high 126 checkout to move to the brink of victory – which was eventually sealed on double ten.
“If I am honest, I haven’t played great today but I have managed to win my games and that is the most important thing I guess,” said Schindler.
“I always thought the first title I would win would be a Players Championship one, but then I got the two European Tour titles. I don’t care how they have come but I am so happy right now.”
Schindler was nearly eliminated at the semi-final stage, as he survived two match darts against Patrick Geeraets.
The Dutchman led 6-3 and spurned two darts at double 16 for a place in the final, only for Schindler to dig deep and win four legs in succession to squeeze through.
“Fair play to Patrick but he wasn’t playing great, and I was just thinking I could be doing better,” continued the former World Cup semi-finalist.
“I thought just give it a little bit more and maybe it will be enough. Like I said, I haven’t played great but I am very happy to now win my third title.”
The run to the final for Schindler started with a routine 6-3 win over George Killington, before the 28-year-old posted his highest average of the day (100.57) in beating Danny Lauby 6-4.
Comfortable 6-3 wins followed over Robert Grundy and Mensur Suljovic, before he held his nerve by beating Kevin Doets in a last-leg decider and followed that with the gruelling victory over Geeraets.
De Graaf – playing in his third Players Championship final – started his campaign with an electric 6-1 win over Andy Baetens in which he averaged 103.04.
Victories over Daryl Gurney (6-3), Berry van Peer (6-2) and Ian White (6-3) followed and he booked his place in the title showdown by seeing off Dylan Slevin (6-5) and Dom Taylor (7-4).
It was largely a day of shocks in Germany and by the last 16 stage, just two of the world’s top 32 remained in the field at Players Championship Eight.
Event Seven winner Gary Anderson suffered a second round exit at the hands of compatriot Greg Ritchie, with Peter Wright, Michael Smith and Dimitri Van den Bergh amongst the first round casualties in Hildesheim.
Perfection was struck once again in Germany however, as Lukas Wenig fired in a nine-dart leg in his first round clash with Dom Taylor.
The darting action continues with Night Seven of the BetMGM Premier League in Cardiff on Thursday, before the second European Tour event of the year gets underway on Friday in Gottingen.
The PDC ProTour action returns with another Players Championship double-header on March 31-April 1 in Leicester.
Full tournament results are listed in the Match Centre.
Click here for match stats through DartConnect.
2025 Players Championship 8
Tuesday March 18
Halle 39, Hildesheim
Last 16
Dylan Slevin 6-3 Sebastian Bialecki
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-3 Ian White
Dom Taylor 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Ryan Searle 6-3 Nick Kenny
Martin Schindler 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Kevin Doets 6-3 Ted Evetts
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Patrick Geeraets 6-5 Greg Ritchie
Quarter-Finals
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-5 Dylan Slevin
Dom Taylor 6-5 Ryan Searle
Martin Schindler 6-5 Kevin Doets
Patrick Geeraets 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Semi-Finals
Jeffrey de Graaf 7-4 Dom Taylor
Martin Schindler 7-6 Patrick Geeraets
Final
Martin Schindler 8-1 Jeffrey de Graaf
——ENDS—–
Images: PDC
