Players Championship nine: Nine-dart finish for MVG

The world champion followed up his victory in Milton Keynes four weeks earlier by taking the £10,000 top prize, continuing the form which has seen him remain top of the Betway Premier League.

Van Gerwen dropped just one leg in his opening two games as he defeated Chris Quantock and Paul Nicholson, before seeing off Wayne Jones 6-4 to reach the last 16.

He then overcame Gary Anderson by the same scoreline as he came from 4-3 down with a stunning run of three legs, before beating another former world champion, Adrian Lewis, in a deciding leg.

The world number one then whitewashed Jan Dekker in the semi-finals, and produced another moment of magic during a brilliant victory in the final.

Two 11-darters from van Gerwen were required to share the opening four legs of the final, as Thornton finished double 18 and 84 to remain level before double eight moved the Dutchman 3-2 up.

Van Gerwen then scored 180 and 177 to open leg six, before taking out 144 with two further treble 20s and double 12 to complete a perfect leg - his third on the PDC ProTour this year.

Van Gerwen also opened the seventh leg with a maximum before double eight moved him 5-2 up, and a 13-darter ended on double top completed a comprehensive victory, his 50th win on the PDC ProTour.

"I played phenomenal and I'm a very happy man," said van Gerwen. "The nine-darter was great and I had an incredible day.

"I did it game after game, not only in a one-off game, and I want to do it again tomorrow. I played really well today and I hope I can continue this good performance because I want to win more titles.

"I'm doing well and things like this keep me motivated. It's difficult to win constantly but I love what I do that makes it a little bit easier."

Van Gerwen added: "Robert did really well today to reach the final. People don't understand how hard it is and you need to concentrate game after game.

"Robert did really well and I'm really pleased for him, but I'm really glad I won this tournament because I think I deserved it today."

Thornton's run to the final was a welcome return to form for the Scottish star, who enjoyed his best finish for 18 months since he had defeated Van Gerwen in the World Grand Prix final.

He overcame Steve Lennon, Ryan Searle, John Bowles, Andrew Gilding, Mike De Decker and Robbie Green in his run to the final, before being overpowered by van Gerwen.

Dekker - a four-time winner on the PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour - enjoyed his best-ever run on the PDC ProTour as he reached the semi-finals with wins over Andy Jenkins, Joe Cullen, Peter Hudson, Joe Murnan and Dave Chisnall.

Green won through to his first semi-final for 12 months with defeats of Darren Johnson, Mensur Suljovic, Justin Pipe, Richie Corner and Jonathan Worsley.

Chepstow' Worsley and Belgian youngster Mike De Decker enjoyed their best finishes on the PDC ProTour by winning through to the quarter-finals alongside Premier League stars Lewis and Chisnall.

World number two Anderson was joined in the last 16 by youngster Evetts, former ProTour winners Murnan and Ian White, Andrew Gilding, Ritchie Edhouse, Jonny Clayton and Corner.

Players Championship Nine

 

First round 

Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-0 Chris Quantock

Paul Nicholson 6-2 Richie Burnett

Mark Walsh 6-2 Josh Payne (32)

Wayne Jones 6-3 Ross Smith

Gary Anderson (16) 6-3 John Henderson

William O'Connor 6-3 Jeffrey de Graaf

Cristo Reyes (17) 6-1 Ricky Williams

Robert Owen 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena

Rob Cross 6-5 Kim Huybrechts (8)

Jamie Lewis 6-2 Zoran Lerchbacher

Kevin Painter 6-4 Christian Kist (25)

Jonny Clayton 6-0 Jamie Caven

Gerwyn Price (9) 6-1 Sven Groen

Stephen Burton 6-3 Prakash Jiwa

Adrian Lewis (24) 6-1 Dennis Smith

Simon Preston 6-1 Bryan De Hoog

Dave Chisnall (5) 6-4 Jim Walker

Warrick Scheffer 6-4 Mickey Mansell

Darren Webster (28) 6-0 Lee Bryant

Ron Meulenkamp 6-4 Matthew Dennant

Ian White (12) 6-4 Vincent Kamphuis

Scott Darbyshire 6-3 Shaun Griffiths

Kyle Anderson (21) 6-1 Ricky Evans

Terry Temple 6-2 Jimmy Hendriks

Matt Clark 6-4 Simon Whitlock (4)

Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Steve Hine

Berry van Peer 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts (29)

Joe Murnan 6-5 Mark Webster

Joe Cullen (13) 6-5 Jim Brown

Jan Dekker 6-4 Andy Jenkins

Steve West (20) 6-3 Max Hopp

Peter Hudson 6-3 Devon Petersen

Peter Wright (2) 6-3 Keegan Brown

Paul Rowley 6-4 Brendan Dolan

Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 Vincent van der Voort (31)

Simon Stevenson 6-1 Wes Newton

Daryl Gurney (15) 6-3 John Michael

Ryan Palmer 6-3 Mick McGowan

Alan Tabern 6-1 Stephen Bunting (18)

Mike De Decker 6-0 Brian Woods

James Wade (7) 6-2 Rob Hewson

John Bowles 6-4 Craig Gilchrist

Robert Thornton (26) 6-2 Steve Lennon

Ryan Searle 6-2 Martin Schindler

Jelle Klaasen (12) 6-4 Madars Razma

Andrew Gilding 6-5 Mick Todd

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 James Wilson (23)

Mark Barilli 6-0 Yordi Meeuwisse

Richard North 6-4 Benito van de Pas (6)

Jonathan Worsley 6-3 Jeffrey de Zwaan

Peter Jacques 6-5 Chris Dobey (27)

Andy Hamilton 6-5 Andy Boulton

Ted Evetts 6-3 Alan Norris (11)

Paul Harvey 6-2 Ray Campbell

James Richardson 6-4 Steve Beaton (22)

Aden Kirk 6-4 Tony Newell

Mensur Suljovic (3) 6-5 Adam Hunt

Robbie Green 6-1 Darren Johnson

Justin Pipe (30) 6-3 Jamie Bain

Scott Taylor 6-5 Kirk Shepherd

Michael Smith (14) 6-2 Ryan Meikle

Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-5 David Pallett

Mervyn King (19) 6-2 Harry Robinson

Richie Corner 6-1 Ross Twell

Second round 

Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Paul Nicholson

Wayne Jones 6-2 Mark Walsh

Gary Anderson 6-0 William O'Connor

Cristo Reyes 6-2 Robert Owen

Rob Cross 6-5 Jamie Lewis

Jonny Clayton 6-3 Kevin Painter

Gerwyn Price 6-2 Stephen Burton

Adrian Lewis 6-1 Simon Preston

Dave Chisnall 6-2 Warrick Scheffer

Darren Webster 6-0 Ron Meulenkamp

Ian White 6-1 Scott Darbyshire

Kyle Anderson 6-1 Terry Temple

Matt Clark 6-4 Ronnie Baxter

Joe Murnan 6-3 Berry van Peer

Jan Dekker 6-2 Joe Cullen

Peter Hudson 6-4 Steve West

Paul Rowley 6-4 Peter Wright

Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 Simon Stevenson

Daryl Gurney 6-1 Ryan Palmer

Mike De Decker 6-0 Alan Tabern

John Bowles 6-1 James Wade

Robert Thornton 6-4 Ryan Searle

Andrew Gilding 6-3 Jelle Klaasen

Mark Barilli 6-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Jonathan Worsley 6-5 Richard North

Peter Jacques 6-5 Andy Hamilton

Ted Evetts 6-2 Paul Harvey

James Richardson 6-2 Aden Kirk

Robbie Green 6-4 Mensur Suljovic

Justin Pipe 6-3 Scott Taylor

Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-5 Michael Smith

Richie Corner 6-3 Mervyn King

Third round 

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Wayne Jones

Gary Anderson 6-3 Cristo Reyes

Jonny Clayton 6-5 Rob Cross

Adrian Lewis 6-4 Gerwyn Price

Dave Chisnall 6-4 Darren Webster

Ian White 6-3 Kyle Anderson

Joe Murnan 6-3 Matt Clark

Jan Dekker 6-3 Peter Hudson

Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Paul Rowley

Mike De Decker 6-4 Daryl Gurney

Robert Thornton 6-4 John Bowles

Andrew Gilding 6-4 Mark Barilli

Jonathan Worsley 6-4 Peter Jacques

Ted Evetts 6-4 James Richardson

Robbie Green 6-1 Justin Pipe

Richie Corner 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Fourth round 

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Gary Anderson

Adrian Lewis 6-3 Jonny Clayton

Dave Chisnall 6-5 Ian White

Jan Dekker 6-1 Joe Murnan

Mike De Decker 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse

Robert Thornton 6-2 Andrew Gilding

Jonathan Worsley 6-1 Ted Evetts

Robbie Green 6-4 Richie Corner

Quarter-finals 

Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Adrian Lewis

Jan Dekker 6-5 Dave Chisnall

Robert Thornton 6-4 Mike De Decker

Robbie Green 6-1 Jonathan Worsley

Semi-finals 

Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Jan Dekker

Robert Thornton 6-3 Robbie Green

Final

Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Robert Thornton