Dirk van Duijvenbode picked up a third PDC ProTour title of 2023 with victory in Sunday’s Players Championship Ten in Wigan.
The Dutchman has already scooped two previous Players Championship wins this year, and added a further £12,000 to his rankings by seeing off Jose de Sousa in Sunday’s final.
A high-quality day of darts from Van Duijvenbode also saw him see off UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and Premier League star Dimitri Van den Bergh on his way to the title.
“I wanted three [titles] and I have three,” said Van Duijvenbode, who was also a runner-up on the European Tour in the European Darts Open last month.
“I think I was a bit lucky today. I shouldn’t have been lucky but against Matt Campbell I should have won 6-3 or 6-2, and I didn’t finish it off and at the end he was better.
“I was lucky that I won it at the end and now I won the tournament. In the final, I was so happy with the 156. Jose was about to come back.
“Sometimes I think that knowing what you’re capable of, knowing you can hit two 180s in a row, you always feel confident. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re not.”
Nine-Darters!
Martin Schindler achieved a nine-dart finish in leg six of his last 32 tie with Boris Krcmar, before winning 6-5.
Josh Rock also enjoyed a perfect leg in the fourth leg of his 6-4 last 16 win over Jonny Clayton.
2023 Players Championship Ten
Sunday April 16, Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan
Last 16
Jose de Sousa 6-5 Luke Humphries
Martin Schindler 6-2 Christian Kist
Damon Heta 6-1 Lee Evans
Ian White 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Josh Rock 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Martijn Kleermaker 6-3 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Quarter-Finals
Jose de Sousa 6-5 Martin Schindler
Ian White 6-4 Damon Heta
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Josh Rock
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Martijn Kleermaker
Semi-Finals
Jose de Sousa 7-2 Ian White
Dirk van Duijvenbode 7-6 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Final
Dirk van Duijvenbode 8-3 Jose de Sousa
SOURCE-PDC
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