Super Smith wins Players Championship 13.

In Milton Keynes on Tuesday, Ross Smith defeated Wesley Plaisier 8-7 to win Players Championship 13 and earn his seventh PDC ranking title.

The 2022 European Champion had a fantastic day of darts at the Marshall Arena to win the £15,000 top prize. He had advanced to two European Tour finals and four additional semi-finals on the circuit this year.

After a close victory over Steve Beaton in the opening round, he went on to upset Kevin Doets and Jermaine Wattimena before triumphing 6-4 over Ricky Evans and Jonny Clayton.

Smith then easily defeated Andy Boulton 7-2 in the semifinals before putting on an outstanding display against Dutch star Plaisier in the championship match.

Smith gained the lead early in the final, starting the first leg with a 180 and winning it with a spectacular 170 finish. He then started leg two with six flawless darts.

Plaisier was down 5-1 at one point, but he bounced back to win four of the next five legs, including 144 and 167. He then struck a double 16 to tie the match, with both players maintaining averages over 107.

Smith was on the verge of victory after pinning double 18 to finish a 13-darter, but Plaisier took out 127 on double eight to force a decisive leg.

After the English ace pulled away with opening scores of 140 and 180, Plaisier answered with his own maximum.

After Smith initially missed three match darts, his opponent intervened with a 107 average to finally win a fourth Players Championship. Plaisier was unable to knock tops to complete a 113 checkout.

“All credit to Wesley for the way he came back. He just didn’t let up, and he showed what a class player he is,” reflected Smith, who crashed in nine 180s during a breathless final.

“I felt like I needed to get the win there and win a final. I’ve lost in two European Tour finals this year, so this was massive for me.

“I’ve also made quite a few semi-finals [on the ProTour] so if I’d missed out again, you start thinking too much, and nobody wants to start doing that, so I’m happy I’ve crossed the line.

“In this game, a lot of it is about confidence and belief, and I just want to win again, it’s as simple as that.

“I don’t really set myself targets as such. I just try and beat who is in front of me, and if I can hold a trophy up, then I’m extemely happy.

“I don’t want to be a number. I want to push on, and I’m working hard at it.”

Plaisier, who defeated Thibault Tricole, Adam Hunt, Dom Taylor, Stephen Bunting, Niels Zonneveld, and Cam Crabtree on Tuesday, achieved his finest run to the final on the ProTour since he made it to a European Tour semi-final in September of last year.

Tuesday’s victory over former UK Open champions Danny Noppert and James Wade allowed London’s 20-year-old Crabtree to advance to the Players Championship semi-finals for the first time. Meanwhile, Andy Boulton’s progress to the semi-finals marked his best finish on the ProTour in more than three years.

With just Wednesday’s Players Championship 14 left until the 32-player field is finalised, James Wade’s run to the quarterfinals propelled the 2007 World Matchplay winner back into the final qualifying spot for this year’s Blackpool finale, ahead of Kevin Doets.

Wade was joined in the final eight by Dutchman Niels Zonneveld, Welshman Jonny Clayton, and former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding.

Robert Grundy defeated recent Poland Darts Masters champion Luke Littler 6-5 in the opening round of his comeback.

Wessel Nijman defeated Michael Smith, the English team’s World Cup winner from 48 hours prior, en route to the round of 16.

In round two, Mensur Suljovic, the World Cup finalist, lost to Doets 6-5; in the last 64, Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price were also eliminated.

2024 Players Championship 13

Tuesday July 3, Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Last 16

Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Wessel Nijman

Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Stephen Bunting

Cam Crabtree 6-4 Kai Gotthardt

James Wade 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld

Andy Boulton 6-3 Nathan Rafferty

Andrew Gilding 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski

Jonny Clayton 6-1 Radek Szaganski

Ross Smith 6-4 Ricky Evans

Quarter-Finals

Wesley Plaisier 6-3 Niels Zonneveld

Cam Crabtree 6-3 James Wade

Andy Boulton 6-3 Andrew Gilding

Ross Smith 6-4 Jonny Clayton

Semi-Finals

Wesley Plaisier 7-3 Cam Crabtree

Ross Smith 7-2 Andy Boulton

Final

Ross Smith 8-7 Wesley Plaisier