Martin Schindler secured his first career Players Championship title as he beat Jeffrey De Graaf 8-1 to win Event Eight in Hildesheim, Germany.
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 put him onto 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 ones. I don’t care how they have come but I am so happy right now."
Schindler was nearly eliminated in the Semi-Final stage as he survived two match darts against Patrick Geeraets. The Dutchman lead 6-3 and spurned two 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. 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 showing 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 run 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 a nine-dart leg in his First Round clash with Dom Taylor.
The darting action continues with Thursday’s Premier League night in Cardiff, before the second European Tour event of the year gets underway on Friday in Gottingen.
Players Championship action returns with another double-header on March 31-April 1 in Leicester.
Players Championship Eight Results
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