Darts results: Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen through in Players Championship Finals

Smith ends De Sousa run

Grand Slam champion Jose de Sousa was knocked out of the Ladbrokes Players Championship finals on Saturday evening as Michael Smith moved a step closer to claiming a first televised ranking title with a 10-7 win.

It was almost impossible to separate the pair through the majority of the match as both players finished with averages over 100 and hit 7 180s each.

With the scores tied at 7-7 the Englishman secured the crucial break taking out 61 on double nine to move ahead.

The former World Championship finalist then won the remaining two legs to move in to the quarter-finals.

“Mentally I feel better than I ever had,” said Smith after the game.

“My scoring isn’t what it normally is but I know I can get that back, what really pleases me is how strong I feel in my own head at the moment.”

Smith progressed to the last 16 after he and Gary Anderson locked horns once again on a PDC stage, this time with Michael Smith recovering from 4-1 down to defeat his older rival, who was clearly still suffering from the knee injury that has hampered him for weeks, 6-4.

Earlier in the day De Sousa looked to have blown his chance to get over the finish line in round two as he missed four match darts against Vincent van der Voort in the eleventh leg before the Dutchman missed two of his own, allowing De Sousa to come back and pin double two for a 6-5 win.

All Wright in the end

Thanks to his victory over De Sousa, Smith will now face Peter Wright in the quarter-finals after the world champion needed a last leg decider to beat Callan Rydz, who was appearing in the last 16 of a televised event for the first time.

It wasn’t a performance the Scot was particularly please , particularly having averaged 102 in his 6-1 defeat of Simon Whitlock earlier in the day, but promised more for the quarter-final with Smith.

“I felt rubbish up there, I tried changing my darts and nothing was working, I’m a bit lucky to have won that,” discussed Wright.

“I can’t be as bad as that again tomorrow so everybody better watch out.”

Messy at times but MVG survives

Defending champion Michael van Gerwen will be back in action on day three in Coventry after the Dutchman claimed a 6-4 win over Jonny Clayton and then a 10-7 victory over Jeffrey de Zwaan.

The world number one again averaged over 100 and hit 50% of his shots at doubles on his way to the third round tie with fellow Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan who also average a ton in beating Wayne Jones 6-4.

Van Gerwen raced in to an 8-3 lead against De Zwaan but gave his opponent hope as he lost four of the next five legs to lead by just two.

The three-time World Champion did eventually get over the winning line but was disappointed with his slip in concentration.

“At 8-3 i made a big mistake and started to play really bad, which is annoying.

“This is a big tournament and I have to give 100% and not make any mistakes if I am going to win.”

The win for Van Gerwen sets up another all Dutch affair in the last eight where he will take on Dirk van Duijvenbode.

The Grand Prix finalist was too strong for Niels Zonnerveld in his first game of the day, comfortably running out a 6-1 winner before a fine performance saw him move in to a third televised quarter-final, beating Luke Woodhouse 10-1 with an average of 100.

On a Heta

The afternoon session saw Damon Heta and Ross Smith set up a Saturday evening encounter by beating Ryan Murray and Nathan Aspinall respectively before the two took to the stage for a place in the last eight.

Heta broke throw in the tenth leg, checking out 84 on the bullseye to move 6-4 ahead before going on to lead 9-5.

Smith produced a comeback of sorts but ultimately it was Heta who ran out a 10-7 victor.

The Australian will now face a resurgent Mervyn King, who has gone about his business in classy fashion so far at the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals as he first beat Danny Noppert 6-1 before registering a 10-5 victory against Karel Sedlacek, who had beaten Madars Razma earlier in the afternoon.

“The Winter Series took it out of me a bit and I needed that last day off just to recharge my batteries. That did me the world of good and a couple of changes to my darts and all of a sudden I’m feeling a lot better,” said King at the conclusion of his match.

Price is right

Gerwyn Price completed another successful day in Coventry after he overcame Jamie Hughes 6-2 with an average just shy of 100 before grinding out a 10-6 win over Luke Humphries to reach the quarter-finals.

Humphries had arguably been involved in arguably the game of the day in the afternoon session as he beat Jermaine Wattimena 6-4, with both players averaging over 107.

The clash with World Cup winner Price was a different kind of affair though, with both men struggling to find their top form.

Price spoke to the media afterwards and said he was struggling to motivate himself during the game.

“I am here to win and will always do my best, I will never throw in the towel but for whatever reason I was struggling tonight.

“It has been a very long few months and it is starting to catch up with me but if I can take another trophy in to the two week break before the World’s I will be very happy.”

Price will take on Joe Cullen in the last eight as he beat Rob Cross and then Ian White on day two at the Ricoh Arena.

Cullen needed a last leg decider in his second round game with Cross but will be delighted with the win considering he was 3-0 down at the start of the game.

The last 16 match with Ian White was a far more impressive performance, with Cullen averaging the best part of 100 in his 10-8 win.

Saturday November 28
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Second Round (Best of 11 legs)
Main Stage (TV Coverage: ITV4)

• Ian White 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
• Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Ross Smith
• Michael Smith 6-4 Gary Anderson
• Joe Cullen 6-5 Rob Cross
• Jose de Sousa 6-5 Vincent Van der Voort
• Michael Van Gerwen 6-4 Jonny Clayton
• Gerwyn Price 6-2 Jamie Hughes
• Peter Wright 6-1 Simon Whitlock

Stage Two

• Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Andy Boulton
• Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Madars Razma
• Ryan Searle 4-6 Callan Rydz
• Damon Heta 6-5 Ryan Murray
• Danny Noppert 1-6 Mervyn King
• Jermaine Wattimena 4-6 Luke Humphries
• Wayne Jones 4-6 Jeffrey De Zwaan
• Niels Zonneveld 1-6 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Evening Session (7pm)
Third Round (Best of 19 legs)
TV Coverage: ITV4

Main Stage

• Michael Smith 10-7 Jose de Sousa
• Gerwyn Price 10-6 Luke Humphries
• Peter Wright 10-9 Callan Rydz
• Michael Van Gerwen 10-7 Jeffrey De Zwaan

Stage Two

• Ian White 8-10 Joe Cullen
• Ross Smith 7-10 Damon Heta
• Karel Sedlacek 5-10 Mervyn King
• Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-1 Luke Woodhouse

Sunday November 29
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
TV Coverage: ITV4

Main Stage

• Damon Heta v Mervyn King
• Peter Wright v Michael Smith
• Gerwyn Price v Joe Cullen
• Michael van Gerwen v Dirk van Duijvenbode

Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: ITV4
Semi-Finals (Best of 21 Legs)

• Two matches

Final (Best of 21 legs)

• Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

Related links

• 2020 PDC event calendar & results
• 2020 Premier League results
• 2019 PDC event results
• Sky Bet's darts odds