Nijman wins back-to-back Development Tour titles in Wigan

Wessel Nijman

Wessel Nijman won back-to-back Winmau Development Tour titles for the second time this year, defeating Nathan Rafferty in both finals at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.

 

Nijman won 16 consecutive matches in Saturday’s double-header at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, as the year's final weekend of action began on Saturday with Event 21 and 22.

The Dutchman pocketed £5,000 in prize money to establish a £9,600 buffer over his closest challenger Niko Springer, making him the outright leader on the Development Tour Order of Merit.

Nijman - a previous winner in Wigan this year - came through a 247-player field to triumph at the Robin Park Leisure centre, defeating fellow Tour Card holder Rafferty in back-to-back finals.

The 24-year-old conceded just six legs in his eight matches in Event 21,  sweeping aside Jack Tarrant, Jon-Sebastian Wright, Charlie Large and Janek Hill to book his spot in the last 16, where he saw off Henry Coates, beating the Englishman convincingly 4-0.

Nijman then recorded a 93 average in a tight battle against Xanti Van den Bergh in the quarter-finals to set up a showdown with rival Springer after the German beat Llew Bevan 5-1, averaging over 110.

Nijman secured his seventh Development Tour triumph of 2024 later on in the day, which elevated him beyond the reach of anyone on the Order of Merit, and secured his spot in the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts to cap off a memorable day.

The 24-year-old kicked off the afternoon session with wins over Thomas Callaghan, Dylan Quinn, Wessel Templars and Jaymie Hilton-Jones, averaging 99 across the four games, before narrowly beating Marvin van Velzen 4-3 to secure his place in the quarter-finals.

Dominik Gruellich missed one match dart to beat Nijman 5-1 in the quarter-finals, before the Dutchman rattled off four legs consecutively to win the match 5-4 pinning the winning leg in 11 darts.

Nijman finished the day off with a repeat of the earlier final in Wigan, as he beat Rafferty 5-3, with winning legs of 15, 14, 13, 18 and 14.

The top two players from the 2024 Development Tour Order of Merit will win a PDC Tour Card for 2025-26 and a place in the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.

The Winmau Development Tour will resume tomorrow, as Events 23-24 take place at Wigan's Robin Park Tennis Centre, as players will battle it out for a place in Monday's World Youth Championship Early Rounds.

Click here for match stats & results.

Click here for event draws & results.

2024 Winmau Development Tour 21
Saturday October 12, Robin Park Leisure Centre, Wigan
Quarter-Finals

Niko Springer 5-1 Llew Bevan
Wessel Nijman 5-4 Xanti Van den Bergh
Nathan Rafferty 5-4 Sebastian Bialecki
Jarno Bottenberg 5-2 Daan Bastiaansen

Semi-Finals
Wessel Nijman 5-2 Niko Springer
Nathan Rafferty 5-0 Jarno Bottenberg

Final
Wessel Nijman 5-0 Nathan Rafferty

2024 Winmau Development Tour 22
Saturday October 12, Robin Park Leisure Centre, Wigan
Quarter-Finals

Wessel Nijman 5-4 Dominik Gruellich
Jarno Bottenberg 5-4 Cam Crabtree
Ieuan Halsall 5-2 Ryan Branley
Nathan Rafferty 5-0 Nathan Girvan

Semi-Finals
Wessel Nijman 5-2 Jarno Bottenberg
Nathan Rafferty 5-3 Ieuan Halsall

Final
Wessel Nijman 5-3 Nathan Rafferty