Darts results: Mensur Suljovic defies Ian White's nine-darter and a 107 average to win Players Championship 26
Mensur Suljovic won his first Players Championship title of the season with a thrilling 8-7 victory over Ian White, who averaged 107 and hit a nine-dart finish.
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Diamond's perfect leg, which levelled the match at 5-5, was the second of the day after Rob Cross had also managed one in the third round while it was the 40th hit in a record-breaking the PDC Tour season.
The previous record had been 29 (2015, 2018) and although there's yet to be any made on TV in 2019, darts fans will be hoping that changes soon ahead of the big winter of majors.
Suljovic averaged 97 in a gripping final, which he edged with a 109 checkout in the deciding leg to seal his second tournament of the season.
The Austrian Darts Championship winner's standout performance of the day came against Glen Durrant in the fourth round when averaging a sensational 112.6 to win 6-2 and he also recorded three figures (102.3) during his 7-5 semi-final triumph over Jonny Clayton.
Suljovic came through a stiff test against Cristo Reyes in the quarter-finals before winning 6-5 while his other victims were Ryan Joyce (6-4), Gavin Carlin (6-2) and Richard North (6-4).
The world number nine Suljovic, who has seven PDC titles to his name, told www.pdc.tv: "This year I am World Champion. This was the best final for me. Ian played brilliant, he hit a nine-darter, he is a brilliant player.
"Everybody is playing brilliant at the moment; Ian, Daryl Gurney, Gerwyn Price and me are the best players at the moment."
White, a winner of two European Tour events in 2019, was seeking a first Players Championship title of the year and posted five ton-plus averages over the course of the day, including a 115 in his semi-final defeat of Steve West.
Elsewhere, West came within one game of his second PDC final which came three years ago to the day, while Ross Smith and Cristo Reyes reached the quarter-finals of a Players Championship for the first time this year.
Players Championship 26 results (last 16 onwards)
Last 16
- Ian White 6-3 Geert Nentjes
- Andy Boulton 6-3 Matthew Edgar
- Steve West 6-3 Martin Schindler
- Gary Anderson 6-2 James Richardson
- Cristo Reyes 6-3 Ron Meulenkamp
- Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Glen Durrant
- Ross Smith 6-5 Rob Cross
- Jonny Clayton 6-2 Gabriel Clemens
Quarter-Finals
- Ian White 6-0 Andy Boulton
- Steve West 6-3 Gary Anderson
- Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Cristo Reyes
- Jonny Clayton 6-1 Ross Smith
Semi-Finals
- Ian White 7-2 Steve West
- Mensur Suljovic 7-5 Jonny Clayton
Final
- Mensur Suljovic 8-7 Ian White