Daryl Gurney celebrates his victory over Michael van Gerwen (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

Players Championship Finals darts results: Daryl Gurney hits the bullseye to beat MVG in an epic final

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Sun November 25, 2018 · 6y ago

Daryl Gurney held his nerve to defeat Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in a thrilling climax to the Players Championship Finals as he claimed the second televised title of his career.

Scroll down for all the day's results & review

Van Gerwen was hot favourite to follow up his epic semi-final triumph over Gary Anderson earlier in the evening by winning this event for the fifth time in six years and fourth in a row but found the Northern Irishman in inspired form at the Butlin's Minehead Resort.

The 2017 World Grand Prix champion averaged 96 compared to MVG's 100 but he showed superb resilience to stay in touch before his superior finishing and nerves of steel in the closing stages proved decisive in a thoroughly entertaining final.

Gurney's emotional celebrations at the end - not to mention MVG's warm show of sportsmanship in defeat - were of great contrast to those witnessed during Gerwyn Price's bad-tempered triumph over Gary Anderson at the Grand Slam of Darts a week earlier.

SuperChin battled brilliantly against the world number one's barrage of high scoring during a see-saw contest and despite averaging less - at one stage by over 10 points - managed to keep level at 6-6 after all of the opening 12 legs went with throw.

Van Gerwen took out 88 for a first break of the contest, only for Gurney to break straight back before his third 180 set up a 64 checkout to move 8-7 up at the final interval.

MVG responded emphatically with back-to-back legs to seize the initiative but just when you thought the Dutchman would finish the job, he missed double 16 for a 10-8 lead and Gurney punished him with an 88 checkout that followed his fourth maximum to level the scores.

A 13-darter on throw put him one leg away from victory, which he sealed in dramatic circumstances with a bullseye finish to take out 85, sparking wild scenes of celebration from the crowd and tears of joy from Gurney, who also becomes £100,000 richer.

The 29-year-old has usually endured a testing relationship with darts fans, especially since his rather heated final with Simon Whitlock in the 2017 World Grand Prix, but this completely won them over given the manner of his performance and character.

Gurney had lost 12 and drawn one of his last 13 meetings with MVG while his last of two previous victories came back in 2016 and he'd never before beaten the Dutchman live on TV.

He said: "I'm over the moon with that win, it means to much to me. That was the best bullseye I've ever hit in my life, I was determined to make sure we didn't go to a deciding leg and I was relieved to see it go in.

"I knew I was playing well, I was hitting everything in practice and after a sticky start I straightened up my throw and I grew in confidence from there. To win this tournament is an unbelievable feeling and I'm going to enjoy this moment."

MVG's defeat in his 61st televised final is the latest in a longer than usual list of majors he's failed to win this year having also missed out at the UK Open Finals, World Matchplay, Champions League of Darts , European Championship, World Series of Darts Finals and Grand Slam of Darts - although he did win 18 titles including the Masters, Premier League and World Grand Prix.

The Dutchman said: "I think he played phenomenally, especially his finishing. I let myself down, I broke his throw but after that I couldn't hit a treble. He played well but I didn't play my best today, all the credits to Daryl."

The next event is, of course, is the World Championship, which begins next month and ends on New Year's Day and van Gerwen will no doubt start as favourite to lift the trophy for the third time.

Semi-final round-up

Michael van Gerwen got his revenge over his great rival Gary Anderson with a thrilling 11-9 victory to keep alive his hopes of winning the Players Championship Finals for the fourth year in a row and fifth time overall.

MVG, whose three-year reign as Grand Slam of Darts champion was ended by the Flying Scotsman in Wolverhampton last Sunday, will now play the 61st televised final of his career against Daryl Gurney later tonight.

Both players averaged 103 in a gripping see-saw dual, which ended when the world number one pinned a 121 checkout in the 20th leg to stop a run of back-to-back TV defeats to Anderson, who also beat him in September's Champions League of Darts.

Van Gerwen also pinned 52% of his doubles and hit four 180s compared to Anderson's 50% and five maximums.

Former World Grand Prix champion Gurney became the first player to reach the final thanks to an emphatic 11-3 win over Danny Noppert.

The Northern Irishman averaged 98 but his job was made simpler by his opponent, who was playing in his first televised PDC semi-final, missing 10 of his 13 attempts at doubles.

Afternoon Quarter-Final round-up

World number one Michael Van Gerwen continued his charge towards a fifth Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals title in six years thanks to a 10-3 triumph over Steve Lennon.

MVG, who is also bidding to win this event for a fourth year in a row, averaged 101, hit 45% of his doubles and nailed a match high checkout of 132 consisting of two bulls and a double 16 to set up a showdown with Gary Anderson.

The Dutchman has only dropped four legs in what has been a comfortable route to the semi-finals as he looks to bounce back from losing to the Flying Scotsman at last weekend's Grand Slam of Darts.

Anderson continued his bid for a fifth televised title of 2018 with a 10-4 victory over last year's runner-up Jonny Clayton.

The 47-year-old won three of the year's big majors at the UK Open, World Matchplay and Champions League of Darts while he also bagged the US Darts Masters during the summer months.

However last weekend his dream of winning a maiden Grand Slam of Darts title was shattered in acrimonious circumstances by Gerwyn Price in a heated Wolverhampton final.

Nevertheless, like MVG, he's also cruised to this stage for the loss of just nine legs and against Clayton his form was ominous once again, averaging 110, hitting five 180s and hitting 67% of his doubles, including double 15 to finish off a 150 checkout.

Elsewhere, Daryl Gurney became the first player to reach the semi-finals with an emphatic 10-2 defeat of Chris Dobey.

The Northern Irishman nailed the big 170 checkout as well as averaging 104 while he also hit 10 of his 16 double attempts.

Gurney will now meet Danny Noppert, who reached his first televised PDC semi-final with a 10-7 victory over Stephen Bunting.

The Dutchman, who won his maiden Players Championship title earlier this year, trailed 6-3 at one stage but rallied to win seven of the next eight legs even though Bunting finished the match with a 100 average.