Michael Smith

Players Championship Seven: Michael Smith beats Adrian Lewis in final

Darts

Mon April 09, 2018 · 7y ago

Michael Smith secured his second ranking victory of the year with a 6-2 win over Adrian Lewis in the final of Players Championship Seven at the Barnsley Metrodome on Saturday.

The Unibet Premier League star followed up his victory in a Coral UK Open Qualifier in February by scooping the £10,000 top prize in the first of two Players Championships being held this weekend.

Smith had whitewashed Raymond van Barneveld in the Premier League in Liverpool on Thursday, and maintained that form with a brutal 113 average in his 6-0 first round win over Eddie Dootson - who will be the St Helens ace's best man at his forthcoming wedding!

Smith then overcame Gary Eastwood and Jermaine Wattimena, seeing off the latter in a deciding leg, before claiming another whitewash victory, against Kyle Anderson.

A 6-4 quarter-final win over James Wilson was followed by a narrow semi-final defeat of St Helens rival Dave Chisnall, who missed the bull to snatch victory in their decider.

There was a strong start to the final for Lewis with a 13-darter, but Smith levelled in 14 darts and then took out a stunning 158 checkout to break throw and lead 2-1 after the Stoke ace turned down a chance to throw for the bull.

Lewis hit back to level with another 13-dart leg, but Smith took out 130 on the bull to regain his lead, tops to hold and then 81 for a 5-2 cushion before closing out the win.

"I think the last Players Championship I won was in Benidorm in 2012 so I've had to wait six years for this and I'm over the moon now," said Smith.

"I got lucky against Jermaine Wattimena and in the last three legs I went 12, 11 and 13 and I was 5-3 down again against Dave Chisnall in the semis and managed to pull it out of the bag.

"Adrian let me in twice for two decent finishes, I pinged them and didn't look back."

The defeat for Lewis denied him a first ranking title since April 2017, although the run to the final was the 33-year-old's best finish of this year as he continues his bid to return to the world's top 16.

Lewis opened the day with a fine 6-3 defeat of Raymond van Barneveld, repeated the scoreline against Ritchie Edhouse and then whitewashed Jamie Lewis.

The two-time world champion then produced a further trio of 6-3 scorelines as he saw off Nathan Aspinall, Stephen Bunting and Jeffrey de Zwaan to reach the final, with his mid-range finishing around the 120 mark proving crucial in his progress.

Young Dutchman De Zwaan impressed as he battled to claim a spot in a third final of the year.

He was taken to a deciding leg by Jarred Cole, Jan Dekker, Robert Thornton and Max Hopp during the event, although his highlight was a stunning 6-0 whitewash of Benito van de Pas in which De Zwaan averaged 116.

Chisnall was aiming to reach a second successive Players Championship final as he overcame Martin Schindler, Devon Petersen, Ron Meulenkamp, Chris Dobey and John Henderson on the day.

Stephen Bunting followed up Friday night's nine-darter in a Eurpean Tour UK Qualifier with a run to the quarter-finals, while Henderson, Wilson and Hopp also won through to the last eight.

The Players Championship weekend concludes on Sunday with Players Championship Eight in Barnsley.