Gerwyn Price showcased his resilience and finishing prowess to claim his fourth Players Championship title of the year, defeating Gian van Veen 8-5 in Tuesday’s final at Halle 39, Hildesheim. Price reflected on the tense finish: “I had to battle there. Towards the end Gian took out the 164 and I thought: ‘Here we go again’. I thought I outplayed him but I couldn’t take my chances, and he was pinning some big finishes with his last dart.”
Price’s campaign began with a 6-2 victory over Dom Taylor before he recovered from five missed match darts to edge James Hurrell. Routine wins against Brendan Dolan, and comeback victories over Andy Baetens (4-1 down) and Wessel Nijman (4-2 down) set up a semi-final against William O’Connor. The Welshman survived another match dart before sealing a 7-6 triumph, demonstrating his trademark late-stage resilience. He added: “My back was against the wall a couple of times, but I think that game against James Hurrell definitely won me the tournament. It’s been a frustrating few weeks with the infection in my hand, but I’m glad I’m here and I’m glad I won today.”
In the final, Price raced to a 6-0 lead, only for Van Veen to fire back with a five-leg burst, including a 164 checkout on the bull. Price halted the comeback with an 11-darter and two 180s, finishing on double five to secure victory. Van Veen, who produced three ton-plus averages, claimed the £10,000 runner-up prize after an impressive tournament run.
Other highlights included Bradley Brooks’ sensational 111.96 average to defeat world number one Luke Humphries, Dirk van Duijvenbode’s 108 average against debutant Charlie Manby, and O’Connor’s strong semi-final showing, boosting his World Grand Prix qualification hopes.
Source: PDC.TV
