Magnificent Seven for Clayton at Players Championship 14
Magnificent Seven for Clayton at Players Championship 14
In Rosmalen, Jonny Clayton won his first PDC ranking title of the year with one of the most dominant Players Championship campaigns in recent memory.
In Tuesday’s Players Championship 14 highlight match, Clayton defeated German rookie Dominik Gruellich 8-2, average 109.68 to win his sixth Players Championship championship.
With just 11 legs given up during the day, the Welsh number one achieved ton-plus averages in six of his seven games at the Autotron.
“Today was a good day. I loved every second of it,” admitted Clayton, who boasted a tournament average of 103.59.
“Fair play to Dominik. He did brilliantly, but things went my way today, and hopefully it carries on going for the rest of the year.
“If I can find this form consistently, that would be brilliant. I’ll be dangerous then!
“I just take every tournament as it comes. When it doesn’t go well, you have to take it on the chin, but I will always keep trying.”
The tone was established by Clayton’s thumping of George Killington in the first round, and his 111.16 average in that match was the highest Rosmalen average of the day.
After defeating Swedish players Oskar Lukasiak and Jeffrey de Graaf 6-2 in quick succession, Clayton defeated Michael van Gerwen 6-1 to get to the round of eight.
The former Premier League champion defeated James Wade handily there, and then, after trailing 3-1 for six consecutive legs, easily defeated Danny Noppert 7-3 in the semifinals.
Against Gruellich, Clayton had an equally spectacular outburst, winning the £15,000 top prize on Dutch turf with a brace of 11-darters and 121 checkouts in the closing stages.
Only a few weeks after winning his first Winmau Development Tour title in Leicester, Gruellich was participating in his first senior PDC final.
The 23-year-old finished a historic campaign by taking down Michael Smith, Dirk van Duijvenbode, and Daryl Gurney. He was granted a PDC Tour Card in January.
Alongside Dutch number two Noppert, former world champion Smith made an impression in Rosmalen as well, making it to his second Players Championship semi-final of the year.
Before losing to Gruellich in the round of eight, Noppert’s countryman Dirk van Duijvenbode recorded four straight ton-plus averages. Wade, Ricardo Pietreczko, and Mickey Mansell completed the quarterfinal lineup.
Following Wessel Nijman’s flawless leg in Monday’s competition, Ross Smith also achieved perfection in his second-round matchup with Thibault Tricole of France in Players Championship 14.
Magnificent Seven for Clayton at Players Championship 14
2025 Players Championship 14
Tuesday April 15
Autotron, Rosmalen
Last 16
Dominik Gruellich 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Chris Dobey
Michael Smith 6-2 Darren Beveridge
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Danny Noppert 6-2 Jimmy van Schie
Mickey Mansell 6-5 Andreas Harrysson
James Wade 6-5 Martin Schindler
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Michael van Gerwen
Quarter-Finals
Dominik Gruellich 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Michael Smith 6-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
Danny Noppert 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Jonny Clayton 6-0 James Wade
Semi-Finals
Dominik Gruellich 7-4 Michael Smith
Jonny Clayton 7-3 Danny Noppert
Final
Jonny Clayton 8-2 Dominik Gruellich
Nine-Darter!
Ross Smith hit a nine-darter in his second round tie against Thibault Tricole.
