Darts results: Glen Durrant beats Michael van Gerwen in their first ever meeting before clinching the Players Championship 15 title

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Sat May 18, 2019 · 6y ago

Glen Durrant thrashed Michael van Gerwen 7-2 in their first ever meeting before going on to win his second PDC title at Players Championship 15 in Barnsley.

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The three-time BDO champion, who won his first PDC title back in February in just his fourth event since earning his Tour Card, had yet to cross paths with the world number one until Saturday's semi-final.

Van Gerwen headed into the day fresh from topping the Premier League Darts regular season for the seventh year in a row and looked in pretty confident mood as cruised into the last eight before edging a deciding leg against Chris Dobey.

Duzza had already taken care of world championship runner-up Michael Smith with a 6-4 triumph in the quarter-finals but he claimed an even bigger scalp by a much greater scoreline thanks to an average of 101.1 and winning three of his legs in 13 darts or fewer.

MVG, who was targeting an eighth title of the season, averaged 99.1 but despite a pair of 13-darters in leg three and eight, he was well beaten by the more clinical Teesider.

Durrant now faced Darius Labanauskas, who had become the first Lithuanian to reach a PDC ranking final after a 160 checkout sealed a 7-4 victory over Ron Meulenkamp.

The 48-year-old didn't need to be at his best, however, as his average of 93 was far superior to his opponent's 84 and powered to a one-sided 8-1 triumph that featured a pair of 12-darters and a high checkout of 81.

Labanauskas' history-making run to the final saw him eclipse his previous best of a last four appearance at Players Championship 14 earlier this month.

On this occasion he saw off German star Gabriel Clemens (6-5), Bradley Brooks (6-3), Cristo Reyes (6-4), the in-form Steve Beaton (6-5) and Ryan Meikle (6-2) to reach the semis.

Labanauskas' average of 99.99 against Meulenkamp was the highest he'd manage all day but he came up short with the title on the line.

Duzza, who equalled Eric Bristow's record of three successive BDO World Championship before switching organisations in January, started with 6-0 thumping of Matthew Edgar and Simon Stevenson but was given sterner examinations by Kyle Anderson (6-4), Danny Noppert (6-4) and Smith.

After completing a superb day with those wins over MVG and Labanauskas to earn a cheque for £10,000 and seal a provisional spot in the World Matchplay, he said: "It feels absolutely fantastic, I can't put into words how happy I am right now.

"Last weekend on the Euro Tour was really difficult to me but this weekend has been perfect. I had a fabulous week in practice and I knew I was playing well.

"I was determined to enjoy today but to win another title is pretty special. I joined the PDC for moments like this.

"Before I played Michael [van Gerwen] I asked if I could have his shirt which I immediately regretted as it showed weakness, but he didn't play his best game and I was able to capitalise.

"I've totally exceeded the initial targets I set myself at the start of the year and soon my goals will be changing but I'm not putting too much pressure on myself at the moment."

Earlier in the day Dave Chisnall produced his second nine-dart finish of the season - and the 13th on the main PDC circuit in 2019 - but that came in a second-round defeat to Reyes.

Departing Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld produced a 104.9 average to beat Jamie Hughes 6-5, but went out at the last 32 stage.

Peter Wright, James Wade, Adrian Lewis and Corey Cadby all exited before the last 32.

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I tweeted this after the BDO World title win by @Duzza180, stating the similarities between his final & MVG’s final. Some of the replies I got comparing the 2 players ability & what would happen if they played might be worth looking at after today’s match! #PDCProTour #PC15 🎯👀 https://t.co/jvFix38QrN
— Carl Fletcher (@CarlyFletch) May 18, 2019