Ross Smith celebrated one of the most dominant Players Championship victories ever seen on Tuesday, landing two nine-dart finishes on his way to a record-breaking triumph in Hildesheim.
Former European champion Smith shattered a number of records in securing his sixth PDC ranking title, winning 24 consecutive legs to seal his fifth Players Championship crown.
Smith also became just the third player – along with Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen – to land multiple nine-darters in the same Players Championship event.
The 36-year-old achieved perfection in his opening round tie against Dylan Slevin, before repeating those heroics in his last-16 clash against Chris Landman.
Landman levelled the contest at 3-3, sparking an astonishing run from Smith, who won the next three legs before whitewashing Danny Noppert, Luke Woodhouse and Brendan Dolan to take the title.
The victory came on the back of a withdrawal from Van Gerwen, the three-time world champion opting out just a day after he had suffered a sixth first-round exit on the ProTour this year, going down to a 6-5 defeat against young German prospect Dominik Gruellich in Hildesheim on Monday.
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Highlights of Luke Littler’s win over Michael van Gerwen to claim a record fifth night win in the Premier League
Van Gerwen, who has yet to win a night in this year’s Premier League, has struggled for consistency this year, although he did claim his 38th Euro Tour title at the German Grand Prix last month and hit a nine-darter as he showed flashes of brilliance.
“I don’t actually think I played that well today, but I’m so happy with the win,” revealed Smith, who now moves up three places to world No 14.
“I’ve got the little plaques at home with the scoresheets from my Players Championship wins. They’re my little trophies, and they mean a lot to me.
“I’m going to add another one to the wall today, and it’s another incentive when I’m at home practising, because I want to win all the time; who doesn’t?
“I know I can be one of the best in the world. Consistency is a big thing, but I know I can win tournaments on a regular basis.
“If you’ve won a major title you can win anything. I honestly believe I’m going to win more, but I need to keep working hard.”
Where does the Premier League head next?
Premier League Darts in next in Aberdeen on Thursday night
The Premier League continues at the P&J Live, Aberdeen on Thursday May 15 as Michael van Gerwen takes on Nathan Aspinall in a massive clash, while Luke Littler faces Luke Humphries in a top-of-the-table encounter. Elsewhere, Gerwyn Price will play Stephen Bunting, with Chris Dobey and Rob Cross set to collide in the evening’s other quarter-final. Watch Night 15 of Premier League Darts in Aberdeen live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+ from 7pm – stream with NOW.
Sky Sports will once again be the home of the Premier League in 2025, with every night exclusively live along with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more! Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.
