Darts results: Michael Smith wins first title of 2021 at Players Championship 10 in Germany

By Sporting Life

21:20 · SUN April 25, 2021

Michael Smith claimed his first title of 2021 with victory over Ross Smith in Sunday's Players Championship 10 as PDC Super Series 3 continued in Niedernhausen.

The world number eight followed up two titles last November with another Players Championship triumph, as he produced consistently high-standard darts throughout Sunday's event.

He followed up a trio of 6-3 wins - against Geert Nentjes, Luke Woodhouse and William O'Connor - by averaging a sensational 114.5 in defeating Premier League joint-leader Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 in the last 16.

Smith then saw off Martin Schindler 6-3 in the quarter-finals before overcoming Aaron Beeney 7-4 in the semis, and eventually took victory in the final by the same three-leg margin.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 𝗕𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗕𝗢𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗟𝗘! 🏆

Michael Smith reigns supreme at Players Championship 10 after sealing his 13th PDC title with an 8-5 victory over Ross Smith in the final!

Congratulations Michael! 👏 pic.twitter.com/f4UM42okmv
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) April 25, 2021

The opening ten legs of the final were shared as both Smiths held throw on five occasions, with Ross taking out a 104 finish as well as a 13-darter and a 14-dart finish.

He was then denied a chance to break when waiting on 40 in leg 11 as Michael took out 130, before the former World Youth Champion followed a 180 with a 90 checkout for a 12-darter in the next to claim the first break and a 7-5 cushion.

🗣 "𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝"

Hear from today's winner, Michael Smith after he clinched the title at Players Championship 10... pic.twitter.com/9o6Q3MnZo2
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) April 25, 2021

Michael Smith then posted his fifth 180 of the game to be first to a finish in leg 13, and held his nerve on double ten to close out the win.

"It's great to get the win," said the St Helens star. "Ross played well in the final, but the 130 finish was important and then I left 90 in the next leg and took it out for a 12-darter. I knew then that it was game over"

Having not been selected for the 2021 Unibet Premier League, Smith admitted he had additional motivation going into his tie with Van den Bergh.

"I felt like I should be in the Premier League," he said. "No disrespect to the ten players who are in, but I felt like I should be in ahead of them and that was a point to myself that I'm still good enough."

Ross Smith followed up four quarter-final appearances on the circuit in 2020 with his best-ever run on the PDC ProTour, also producing some brilliant darts during the day.

He averaged 105 in a 6-1 win over Danny Noppert, and over 98 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals as he saw off Jose de Sousa and Berry van Peer respectively.

Saturday's Players Championship 9 winner De Sousa landed a nine-dart finish during his sensational whitewash of Jermaine Wattimena as he averaged 117 in the last 16, only to lose out in the last eight.

🚨 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘-𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥 🚨

Jose de Sousa struck perfection in his Last 16 tie with Jermaine Wattimena at Players Championship 10!

'The Special One' is in the form of his life! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Caex9xpQLQ
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) April 25, 2021

Stephen Bunting also achieved a nine-darter as he completed a second round whitewash of Ron Meulenkamp.

The day was also memorable for semi-finalists Beeney and Van Peer as they reached the last four for the first time in Players Championships.

Van Peer's display was his best on the senior circuit since September 2016, as he defeated World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks, former Premier League stars Jelle Klaasen and Dave Chisnall as well as whitewashing Rusty-Jake Rodriguez.

For prison officer Beeney, it was a mark of his continued progress since winning a Tour Card in 2020 as he enjoyed his best-ever finish on the professional circuit.

The 37-year-old enjoyed wins over former World Champions Rob Cross and Raymond van Barneveld amongst five victories before he lost out to the eventual champion.

Van Barneveld's quarter-final appearance saw the Dutch legend take another step towards qualification for July's Betfred World Matchplay, having also won a Players Championship earlier this year.

Last week's Hylo PDC Europe Super League winner Schindler and former World Cup finalist Lennon joined Van Barneveld and De Sousa in the quarter-finals, while Austrian brothers Rowby-John and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez reached the last 16.

PDC Super Series 3 continues on Monday from 1400 local time (1300 BST) with Players Championship 111 on the third of action in Niedernhausen, with coverage to be streamed through PDCTV and bookmakers' websites worldwide.