Krzysztof Ratajski (credit: PDC)
Krzysztof Ratajski (credit: PDC)

Krzysztof Ratajski doubles up in Barnsley as he lands Players Championship 22


Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski won Players Championship 22 in Barnsley on Sunday, adding to his success on Saturday to join elite couple in landing a weekend double.

Only Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson have won twice in as many days this year, but Ratajski now joins them after beating Adrian Lewis 6-4 in the final.

Ratajski won all seven matches on Saturday yet stepped up a gear on Sunday, the quality of his opponents a level above that which he'd met 24 hours earlier.

A last-16 victory over Daryl Gurney was followed by Michael Smith in the quarter-finals and Kyle Anderson in the semis, before two-time world champion Lewis became his final victim.

All four of those matches were won 6-4 as Ratajski added to Saturday's title, plus an early-season success in a Coral UK Open Qualifier.

"I can't believe it, for me this is really something impossible but I've done it again," said Ratajski, who on Saturday became the 14th different winner from this year's 22 Players Championship events.

"I don't know how I did it but for me this is a perfect weekend - I am so happy!

"I've beaten some really great players this weekend but I have big respect for all of them."

Krzysztof Ratajski (credit: PDC)

Pole edges high-quality final

Ratajski recorded wins over Cameron Menzies, Zoran Lerchbacher and Terry Temple before adding Gurney, Smith and Anderson to his list of victims, setting up a showdown with Lewis, who was starring in his fourth PDC final of the year.

A high-quality start to the final saw four consecutive holds of throw, with each leg won in 15 darts or fewer before Lewis missed three darts at double top for a break of throw and Ratajski punished by hitting double 16 with his last dart in hand.

Lewis hit single 19, double 19, double 20 to take out 97 and let out a determined roar in a passionately contested final, only for the Pole to hit double 16 once again to go 4-3 ahead.

Lewis levelled it up again before Ratajski's trusty double 16 saw him move within a leg of victory, and he then hit the same double to clinch the title.

Despite defeat in the final, Lewis continued his strong ProTour form in 2018, reaching the final thanks to wins over Chris Quantock, Robert Thornton, Jamie Hughes, Jamie Bain, James Wade and Luke Humphries.

Another nine-dart finish

Earlier in the day, Dutchman Jimmy Hendriks landed a nine-dart leg in his first-round game with Mark Wilson, the second perfect leg of the weekend after Andrew Gilding achieved the same feat on Saturday.

The final day of 2018 ProTour action was also a significant one for Humphries, who ensured his return to Alexandra Palace thanks to victories over Steve Lennon, Jarred Cole, Rowby-John Rodriguez, Chris Dobey and James Wilson.

Multiple-televised event winner Wade reached his 75th ProTour quarter-final, while semi-finalist Kyle Anderson continued his return to form, averaging over 100 over the course of the day.

Players Championship 22: Results

October 21, Barnsley

Last 128

  • Devon Petersen 6-5 Ian White
  • Peter Hudson 6-2 Ryan Meikle
  • Gabriel Clemens 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
  • Jamie Caven 6-2 Jim Brown
  • Bradley Brooks 6-1 Steve West
  • Madars Razma 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse
  • James Wilson 6-5 Dennis Nilsson
  • Lee Budgen 6-2 Scott Darbyshire
  • Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Jonny Clayton
  • Davy Van Baelen 6-1 Ryan Searle
  • Chris Dobey 6-2 Alan Norris
  • Kirk Shepherd 6-0 Terry Jenkins
  • Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-4 Simon Whitlock
  • Jason Cullen 6-1 Adam Huckvale
  • Luke Humphries 6-5 Steve Lennon
  • Jarred Cole 6-2 Robert Owen
  • Adrian Lewis 6-3 Chris Quantock
  • Robert Thornton 6-2 Peter Jacques
  • Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
  • Jamie Hughes 6-3 Benito van de Pas
  • Dave Chisnall 6-2 Jeffrey de Graaf
  • Jamie Bain 6-3 Richard North
  • Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-3 Paul Nicholson
  • Ryan Harrington 6-1 Ross Twell
  • James Wade 6-3 Michael Barnard
  • Eddie Dootson 6-3 Mark Dudbridge
  • Ronny Huybrechts 6-5 Ryan Joyce
  • Dawson Murschell 6-3 Christian Kist
  • Mervyn King 6-4 Arron Monk
  • Andrew Gilding 6-5 John Davey
  • Ricky Evans 6-3 Tytus Kanik
  • Toni Alcinas 6-3 Adam Hunt
  • Michael Smith 6-4 George Killington
  • Jimmy Hendriks 6-1 Mark Wilson
  • Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Jamie Lewis
  • Robert Marijanovic 6-4 John Norman Jnr
  • Stephen Bunting 6-3 Ron Meulenkamp
  • Vincent Kamphuis 6-4 Maik Langendorf
  • Steve Beaton 6-3 Simon Preston
  • Darren Johnson 6-2 Richie Burnett
  • Daryl Gurney 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
  • Ted Evetts 6-1 William O'Connor
  • Brendan Dolan 6-5 Josh Payne
  • Mark Webster 6-2 Mario Robbe
  • Terry Temple 6-5 Joe Cullen
  • Scott Taylor 6-5 Martin Atkins (Wigan)
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Cameron Menzies
  • Zoran Lerchbacher 6-5 Simon Stevenson
  • Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Tony Newell
  • Paul Rowley 6-4 Wayne Jones
  • Martin Schindler 6-3 Justin Pipe
  • Matthew Edgar 6-4 Kevin Burness
  • Diogo Portela 6-5 Darren Webster
  • Alan Tabern 6-1 Steve Hine
  • Kevin Painter 6-3 John Henderson
  • Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
  • Rob Cross 6-5 Mickey Mansell
  • Jan Dekker 6-4 Aden Kirk
  • Kyle Anderson 6-1 Joe Murnan
  • Robbie Green 6-5 Yordi Meeuwisse
  • Stephen Burton 6-5 Danny Noppert
  • Ross Smith 6-4 Gary Eastwood
  • Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Keegan Brown
  • David Pallett 6-1 James Richardson

Last 64

  • Peter Hudson 6-4 Devon Petersen
  • Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Jamie Caven
  • Madars Razma 6-5 Bradley Brooks
  • James Wilson 6-1 Lee Budgen
  • Davy Van Baelen 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
  • Chris Dobey 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
  • Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-1 Jason Cullen
  • Luke Humphries 6-3 Jarred Cole
  • Adrian Lewis 6-5 Robert Thornton
  • Jamie Hughes 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
  • Jamie Bain 6-3 Dave Chisnall
  • Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-2 Ryan Harrington
  • James Wade 6-0 Eddie Dootson
  • Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Dawson Murschell
  • Mervyn King 6-4 Andrew Gilding
  • Ricky Evans 6-0 Toni Alcinas
  • Michael Smith 6-0 Jimmy Hendriks
  • Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Robert Marijanovic
  • Vincent Kamphuis 6-2 Stephen Bunting
  • Steve Beaton 6-2 Darren Johnson
  • Daryl Gurney 6-1 Ted Evetts
  • Mark Webster 6-5 Brendan Dolan
  • Terry Temple 6-2 Scott Taylor
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Zoran Lerchbacher
  • Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Paul Rowley
  • Matthew Edgar 6-4 Martin Schindler
  • Diogo Portela 6-4 Alan Tabern
  • Kevin Painter 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
  • Jan Dekker 6-2 Rob Cross
  • Kyle Anderson 6-3 Robbie Green
  • Stephen Burton 6-3 Ross Smith
  • Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 David Pallett

Last 32

  • Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Peter Hudson
  • James Wilson 6-2 Madars Razma
  • Chris Dobey 6-4 Davy Van Baelen
  • Luke Humphries 6-2 Rowby-John Rodriguez
  • Adrian Lewis 6-3 Jamie Hughes
  • Jamie Bain 6-4 Jeffrey de Zwaan
  • James Wade 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
  • Ricky Evans 6-4 Mervyn King
  • Michael Smith 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
  • Steve Beaton 6-2 Vincent Kamphuis
  • Daryl Gurney 6-3 Mark Webster
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Terry Temple
  • Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Matthew Edgar
  • Kevin Painter 6-4 Diogo Portela
  • Kyle Anderson 6-4 Jan Dekker
  • Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Stephen Burton

Last 16

  • James Wilson 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
  • Luke Humphries 6-1 Chris Dobey
  • Adrian Lewis 6-3 Jamie Bain
  • James Wade 6-4 Ricky Evans
  • Michael Smith 6-3 Steve Beaton
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Daryl Gurney
  • Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Kevin Painter
  • Kyle Anderson 6-0 Jermaine Wattimena

Quarter-finals

  • Luke Humphries 6-5 James Wilson
  • Adrian Lewis 6-4 James Wade
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Michael Smith
  • Kyle Anderson 6-4 Mensur Suljovic

Semi-finas

  • Adrian Lewis 6-3 Luke Humphries
  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Kyle Anderson

Final

  • Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Adrian Lewis

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