Sporting Life
Michael van Gerwen in action against Peter Wright (Picture: Lawrence Lustig)
Michael van Gerwen in action against Peter Wright (Picture: Lawrence Lustig)

Darts results: Michael van Gerwen beats Peter Wright to win the first Players Championship title of Summer Series

By Chris Hammer
23:19 · WED July 08, 2020

Michael van Gerwen defeated Peter Wright 8-7 to win the opening Players Championship event of the PDC's Summer Series as 'normal' darts made it's long-awaited return with a bang.

After almost four months since we last saw fellow professionals on the circuit facing each other without the use of webcams, the first of five consecutive tournaments this week fittingly concluded with a blockbusting repeat of the World Championship final.

However, in regards to the frantic race to qualify for the World Matchplay, in which there are around 10 spots feasibly still up for grabs before Sunday's cut off point, it was perhaps ironic that the players with the least need for prize money claimed the two biggest cheques of £10,000 and £6,000.

The eagerly-anticipated resumption of the 2020 calendar began with a positively negative start with the news that all 128 players who entered the Summer Series - as well as the other 101 managers, officials and staff present at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes - passed their Covid-19 tests and play could finally began a little later than planned at around 2.30pm.

Around six hours later world number one, van Gerwen had powered his way into the final after winning four of his six matches with averages of over 105 - as well as agonisingly coming within one dart of a perfect leg against Danny Noppert in the quarters - while bespectacled Snakebite was almost as impressive with two marks over 105, including a high of 108.5 against Glen Durrant in the last eight.

In the end it was MVG who prevailed 8-7 over the world champion in a dramatic final in which he fell 7-5 behind despite having earlier led 5-2. He claims his 135th career PDC title and second of the season following March's UK Open success.

Van Gerwen, who has clearly hit the practice board hard during lockdown despite not competing during the PDC's Home Tour, averaged 104.5 compared to Wright's 100.5 to take his overall tournament average to a stunning 102.3.

The 31-year-old told www.pdc.tv: "I'm very happy. It was a tough day and I had to perform really well but I worked hard and I did enough today. For the first tournament after this big gap, I think it wasn't too bad. I'm really glad to be back. I played some good darts but you never know what can happen - there's no easy games any more.

"It doesn't matter who you draw now, you have to be sharp otherwise they will beat you. It's been my biggest gap ever, four months is a long time to be away but I'm happy that I showed everyone today that I'm back."

The Dutchman started with a 6-1 win over Ciaran Teehan but he had to survive a match dart against William Borland in a 6-5 victory despite averaging 14 points higher with 105.4.

Callan Rydz pushed MVG all the way with a fractionally superior mark of 106.8 during a 6-4 defeat in round three but he soon got back in cruise control against Jamie Hughes (6-1) and Danny Noppert (6-0) with averages of 102 and 94.9 respectively.

His highest mark of 106.8 came in a 7-3 semi-final triumph over Gabriel Clemens, which set him up with an 82nd career meeting with Wright.

Wright fell 5-2 despite an early checkout of 110 but a finish from 116 helped him reel off five legs in succession as he moved one away from glory.

Van Gerwen responded with a match-saving 72 before forcing a decider that he went on to win with a checkout of 76.

Snakebite came through hard-fought matches with Ron Meulenkamp (6-5), Derk Telnekes (6-4) and James Wilson (6-3) before brushing aside Rob Cross 6-2, while his best average came in a 6-3 victory over Durrant.

Wright then overcame Krzysztof Ratajski, who is the first Polish player to reach the top 16 of the Order of Merit, with a 7-2 victory as both players averaged over 105 in a superb match.

The world number 15 was hoping to win his second title of the season and eighth in just two years but he's still well on course to seal his seeding spot at the World Matchplay.

The same can be said of Durrent, who is 16th in the Order of Merit, considering that the four players within potential striking distance - Stephen Bunting, Joe Cullen, Johnny Clayton and Chris Dobey - failed to go as far on day one.

Germany's Clemens is also vying to qualify for the World Matchplay via the tantalisingly tight Pro Tour Order of Merit but the £3,000 he picked up today makes his situation look a lot stronger.

Noppert's quarter-final run has pretty much rubber-stamped his place at the sport's second biggest major, while Stephen Bunting, Jamie Hughes, Darren Webster, Steve Beaton and Ricky Evans gave their chances a shot in the arm by making the last 16.

PDC Summer Series Day One Results (Players Championship Nine)

Last 16

  • Danny Noppert 6-3 Stephen Bunting
  • Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Jamie Hughes
  • Mensur Suljovic v Darren Webster
  • Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Steve Beaton
  • Peter Wright 6-2 Rob Cross
  • Glen Durrant 6-5 Jason Lowe
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Eddie Lovely
  • Dave Chisnall 6-1 Ricky Evans

Quarter-Finals

  • Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Danny Noppert
  • Gabriel Clemens 6-2 Mensur Suljovic
  • Peter Wright 6-3 Glen Durrant
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Dave Chisnall

Semi-Finals

  • Michael van Gerwen 7-3 Gabriel Clemens
  • Peter Wright 7-2 Krzysztof Ratajski

Final

  • Michael van Gerwen 8-7 Peter Wright

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