Ruthless Wessel Nijman claims hat-trick of Pro Tour titles at Players Championship 10 

Wessel Nijman continued his outstanding start to 2026 by securing his fourth ranking title of the season at Players Championship Ten in Wigan.

The Dutchman produced a dominant display in Tuesday’s final at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, defeating Scott Waites 8-2 to return to the top of the Players Championship Order of Merit. His victory came just a day after Chris Dobey had briefly overtaken him with success in Event Nine, making Nijman’s response all the more emphatic.

Nijman’s run to the title began with a battling win over Martin Lukeman, before he eliminated Monday’s finalist Justin Hood to reach the third round. From that point on, he found another gear, embarking on a dominant run through the field.

One of the standout moments came in his comprehensive victory over Adam Gawlas, where Nijman averaged close to 110 in a ruthless display. He followed that up by defeating compatriot Niels Zonneveld before producing another exceptional performance against Beau Greaves in the quarter-finals. There, he averaged 109.71 to seal a convincing win.

His scoring power remained relentless in the semi-finals, where he overcame Luke Woodhouse with a 108.46 average to book his place in the final.

In the showpiece against Waites, Nijman quickly took control. After an early exchange of legs, he produced a 12-dart break to move 3-1 ahead, before rattling off a sequence of five consecutive legs to establish a commanding 7-1 lead. Although Waites managed to pull one leg back, it proved to be little more than a consolation, as Nijman wrapped up the contest with a composed 15-dart leg, finishing with a 101.34 average.

Reflecting on his performance, Nijman said: “Today was probably the best floor event I’ve played all year.

“I hit so many averages above 105, it was a really good day.

“When I broke again to make it 4-1, it was a really good feeling through the rest of the match and it helped me in the final.

“I’m happy with the way I played in the final and the way I played all day. Maybe these kinds of events suit me.”

Nijman’s recent form highlights his rapid rise, having also claimed titles earlier in the season and enjoyed success on the European Tour. He now looks ahead to further opportunities to add to his growing collection of silverware.

“When I’m in that zone and playing good, I could play all day like that,” he added.

“The top 16 was the goal for the year. The earlier I get that, the better it is.

“I lost in Munich and Wieze in the first round, but I hope I do a lot better in Sindelfingen this weekend.”

Despite defeat, Waites enjoyed a memorable run to his first ProTour final. The former Grand Slam champion, who entered the event as a late call-up via the Challenge Tour, produced a series of impressive performances throughout the day.

He began by defeating Damon Heta, before recording consecutive 6-1 wins over Tavis Dudeney and Joe Cullen. He continued his strong form with victories over Brendan Dolan and Kevin Doets to reach the semi-finals.

In a high-quality last-four clash, Waites produced back-to-back finishes of 116 and 121 to defeat Karel Sedlacek and book his place in the final.

Sedlacek himself enjoyed a productive run, boosting his chances of qualification for the World Matchplay. The Czech star recorded wins over Max Hopp, Christian Kist and James Hurrell, while also ending Dobey’s 11-match winning streak in a thrilling quarter-final encounter.

Woodhouse joined Sedlacek in the semi-finals after an impressive series of victories over Darius Labanauskas, Mervyn King, Ryan Joyce, Scott Williams and Joe Hunt.

Hunt also enjoyed a notable run to the quarter-finals, eliminating big names such as Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock, having earlier defeated Mike De Decker.

Greaves continued her impressive form with a second consecutive quarter-final appearance, including victories over Martin Schindler and Cameron Menzies.

Doets also impressed during his run to the last eight, producing multiple ton-plus averages, including a 107.36 performance in a whitewash victory over Gabriel Clemens, while also defeating Peter Wright and James Wade.

Monday’s champion Dobey completed the quarter-final line-up, delivering one of the standout displays of the event in his win over Raymond van Barneveld, where he averaged over 105.

The PDC ProTour season now moves on to the European stage, with the next event taking place in Sindelfingen from April 17-19, before another Players Championship double-header in Milton Keynes on April 27-28.

Ruthless Wessel Nijman claims hat-trick of Pro Tour titles at Players Championship 10 

2026 Players Championship Ten

Tuesday April 14

Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan

Last 16

Wessel Nijman 6-3 Niels Zonneveld

Beau Greaves 6-4 Cameron Menzies

Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Scott Williams

Joe Hunt 6-5 Josh Rock

Chris Dobey 6-4 Daniel Klose

Karel Sedlacek 6-4 James Hurrell

Scott Waites 6-4 Brendan Dolan

Kevin Doets 6-0 Gabriel Clemens

Quarter-Finals

Wessel Nijman 6-2 Beau Greaves

Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Joe Hunt

Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Chris Dobey

Scott Waites 6-4 Kevin Doets

Semi-Finals

Wessel Nijman 7-4 Luke Woodhouse

Scott Waites 7-5 Karel Sedlacek

Final

Wessel Nijman 8-2 Scott Waites