The opening session of the Players Championship Finals never tiptoes gently into the weekend — it detonates. And this year, Minehead delivered another blistering chapter of early carnage, high-profile heartbreak, and suitcase-dragging misery for some of darts’ biggest beasts. Somerset is not the easiest corner of the UK to reach, so the last thing anyone wants is to be booted out before the average holidaymaker has even had their Friday teatime buffet at Butlins. Yet a parade of giants found themselves packing their kits before the sun had even begun to sulk beneath the clouds.
The first earthquake came with the early demise of a former World Champion: Rob Cross. Voltage fizzled out just after lunch as Polish prodigy Sebastian Bialecki produced a performance bursting with swagger, precision and fearless youthful insolence. It was the kind of result that makes you blink twice and mutter “Already? Seriously?” — but the Minehead graveyard doesn’t wait for anyone.
Jonny Clayton joined him on the long road home soon after, despite arriving with medals, pedigree and more stage experience than the entire Butlins entertainment roster combined. James Hurrell produced a magnificent display to send The Ferret scampering, while Mike De Decker — last year’s World Grand Prix champion — suffered a double blast of misery.
First, he watched Cross tumble. Then he took the stage himself and was bundled out by a sensational comeback from Croydon’s Cam Crabtree, who roared back from a three-leg deficit with the confidence of a man who still thinks losing is something that happens to other people.
Chizzy’s nightmare season plunged to new depths as Ryan Joyce delivered another unpleasant reality check. And for local lad Dom Taylor, the debut dream collapsed with theatrical cruelty. The Tower scaled into a commanding, match-dart-laden lead over former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding — then watched it crumble into Minehead dust. Nine missed match darts. A collapsed advantage. And a brutal lesson served cold on a wet Somerset afternoon. At least his drive home to Bristol will be short, though the silence in the car won’t be.
Among the few smiling faces was Daryl Gurney — the lone former champion to survive the session — who dispatched fellow Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan. Danny Noppert, meanwhile, continued his television renaissance, sweeping past the revived Ricky Evans as his quietly magnificent season rolls on. The Dutchman has eyes far beyond the semi-finals this time.
James Wade marched through, still hunting the one TV title he has inexplicably never collected despite being an ever-present since the tournament’s 2009 birth. On stage two, it was an English uprising: Bradley Brooks, Scott Williams, Callan Rydz and Luke Woodhouse all progressed, while Wales clung to a single victory courtesy of Nick Kenny after Clayton’s earlier departure.
Shock of the day perhaps Adam Lipscombe’s towering, unforgiving 6–1 demolition of Cameron Menzies — a performance as frosty and uncompromising as the Somerset weather itself. Menzies blows hot or cold; today he froze solid.
Tonight, the big guns arrive as the remaining opening round fixtures take centre stage
Round One
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Main Stage
Sebastian Bialecki 6-2 Rob Cross
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Cam Crabtree 6-5 Mike De Decker
Danny Noppert 6-2 Ricky Evans
James Wade 6-3 Mickey Mansell
James Hurrell 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Ross Smith 6-1 Ryan Meikle
Stage Two
Bradley Brooks 6-1 Martin Lukeman
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Dom Taylor
Scott Williams 6-2 Ian White
Nick Kenny 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Callan Rydz 6-4 Kevin Doets
Adam Lipscombe 6-1 Cameron Menzies
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Luke Woodhouse 6-2 Alan Soutar
William O’Connor 3-6 Ricardo Pietreczko
——ENDS——
Images: PDC Europe
