Betfred World Matchplay race latest ahead of PC18-21

Betfred World Matchplay

The race to qualify for the 2022 Betfred World Matchplay reaches its climax at Players Championships 18-21.

Players Championships 18-21 entries & European Tour 10-11 seeds confirmed

ProTour

Player entries have been confirmed for Players Championship events 18-21, along with European Tour 10-11 seeds.

PDC's November 2022 schedule confirmed

News

The Grand Slam of Darts will return to Wolverhampton in 2022, following confirmation of November's PDC schedule.

Wonderful Williams claims incredible win at PC17

ProTour

Scott Williams claimed a host of huge scalps to clinch his first PDC Pro Tour title in fairytale fashion at Players Championship 17 on Wednesday.

Sensational Smith lands third consecutive Pro Tour title at PC16

ProTour

Michael Smith continued his magnificent form to clinch a third consecutive Pro Tour title with victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode in a remarkable Players Championship 16 final in Germany.

2022 Players Championship 16-17 entries confirmed

ProTour

Entries have been confirmed for the Players Championship double-header in Niedernhausen on June 14-15.

Two new Players Championship dates confirmed

ProTour

Two Players Championship events originally scheduled to be held later in 2022 have been rescheduled.

Nine-dart Smith goes back-to-back at Players Championship 15

ProTour

Michael Smith produced a stunning day of darts to earn his second title in two days at Players Championship 15.

Michael Smith scoops Players Championship 14 title

ProTour

Michael Smith secured his first title of 2022 at Players Championship 14.

ET8, ET9 Tour Card Holder Qualifiers confirmed

European Tour

Tour Card Holder Qualifiers for European Tour Events Eight and Nine took place on Monday in Wigan.

Players Championship events are held throughout the year, with prize money won counting towards the ProTour Order of Merit

All Players Championship events will be streamed live for PDCTV-HD Subscribers worldwide with coverage from two boards throughout each event.

GERWYN PRICE continued his impressive start to 2019 by claiming a fifth PDC title thanks to an 8-4 defeat of Gabriel Clemens at Players Championship 5, on a day which saw two nine-darters hit at The Barnsley Metrodome.

The opening day of the ProTour weekend saw Price in sensational form throughout the day, posting an incredible five ton-plus averages on his way to a first PDC crown since winning the Grand Slam of Darts in November 2018.

The Welsh number one has made an unbeaten start to his second Premier League season, and Price continued his good form with victories over Marko Kantele, Madars Razma and Ryan Joyce at the start of the day.

In the last 16 Price came out on top of the all-Welsh clash with Jonny Clayton thanks to a 105.5 average, which he increased to 106 in his quarter-final triumph over Ian White.

A third consecutive ton-plus average followed in his 7-4 semi-final win over Dave Chisnall, before a magnificent 109.7 average saw Price overcome Germany's Clemens to clinch the £10,000 top prize.

"This time 12 months ago I was playing rubbish, I was going out in the first round all the time but now my mind is clear," said world number seven Price, who reached the semi-finals of Players Championship 4 last Sunday.

"The last couple of weeks I've been playing really well but falling to players who have been playing amazing, so today I'm delighted to get the win.

"Winning breeds confidence and today I thought I played fantastic all day and was a deserved winner.

"I'm striving to make the top four in the Premier League and to also keep doing well on the ProTour. It's tough to do both but it seems to be working for me this year."

A high-quality start to the final saw the players exchange holds of throw before Price made no mistake on double 16 to land the first break of the match to lead 2-1.

Clemens missed a dart at the bull for a 130 finish to break straight back, but a clinical Price took out 72 in two darts and followed it up with a second break of throw, this time finishing 69 in two darts.

Price finally missed a dart at double and Clemens stepped in to find double top to break back, only for a confident Price to fire in the first 180 of the contest in the next leg and take out 88 in two darts to restore his three-leg cushion.

The pair both held throw in the next two legs, before a determined Clemens pinned double 16 with his last dart in hand to get himself back in the contest at 6-4.

That was as good as it got for the German as Price reeled off the final two legs to seal his first Players Championship title since 2016 to become the fourth different winner from the opening five ProTour events of the year.

Despite defeat in the final, Clemens ended his run of three Players Championships without a victory to reach his second ProTour final in just over a year on the professional circuit, with victories over John Henderson and Danny Noppert on the way.

The first nine darter of the day was hit by Scott Baker, who averaged 110 in his last 32 defeat to Chisnall, before Noppert landed the ninth perfect leg of the 2019 PDC campaign in his semi-final loss to Clemens.

James Wade enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals, while fellow-Premier League stars Rob Cross and Mensur Suljovic both reached the last 16 along with ProTour winner Glen Durrant.

Meanwhile, it was a disappointing day for Peter Wright, Daryl Gurney, Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld who all exited at the last 64 stage.