Players Championship 3: Rob Cross claims maiden title

Cross, who only turned professional less than three months ago began his day with impressive victories over Alan Norris, Max Hopp and then Richie Burnett at the Barnsley Metrodome.

Last years Challenge Tour winner then faced Jamie Caven in the last 16 where he secured a 6-4 win to book his place in the quarter-finals.

There, he defeated five-time Champion of the World Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 to set up a semi-final encounter with last weekend’s UK Open runner-up Gerwyn Price.

The Welshman took a commanding 3-1 lead before Cross won five of the following seven legs to make his way in to a first PDC Pro Tour final.

The final was a tense encounter which saw the pair break the others throw in the opening two legs.

From that point both King and Cross finished well and held throw to take the match to a deciding leg, despite Cross missing the bullseye to claim the victory in leg ten.

Cross opening the last leg with 134 to put him in control and eventually went on to secure his first title and the £10,000 prize on double two.

The Englishman’s opponent in the final, Mervyn King battled his way in to the last two, starting with victories over Brian Woods, Jeffrey de Graaf and ninth seed James Wade.

King followed that with two impressive performances, first in a 6-1 win over Martin Schindler and then a 6-2 victory against Ritchie Edhouse to make his way in to the semi-final.

There, he faced Steve West - the man he defeated in the World Championship at the end of 2016 - and had to dig deep to secure a 6-5 win from 4-2 down.

King was looking for a first title for almost three years but Cross was to have too much for him in the final.

Players Championship Three saw none of the top ten seeds make their way in to the quarter-final stage with Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright not even making it to the last 16.

World number one Van Gerwen came unstuck against William O’Connor, two-time World Champion Anderson was beaten by Daryl Gurney and Paul Nicholson did for newly crowned UK Open Champion Wright. 

Kim Huybrechts also had a memorable day in Barnsley as he hit the perfect leg in his opening match against Sven Groen before being beaten by Jamie Caven in the next round.

Ritchie Edhouse, Raymond van Barneveld, Michael Smith and Daryl Gurney will all reflect on a solid day as they reached the quarter-final stages.

Players Championship Four will take place on Sunday March 12.

Players Championship Three

First Round 

Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Joe Murnan

Scott Darbyshire 6-5 Matthew Edgar

Christian Kist 6-3 John Jnr Norman

William O'Connor 6-4 Zoran Lerchbacher

Andy Jenkins 6-5 Stephen Bunting

Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 Andy Hamilton

Cristo Reyes 6-5 Vincent Kamphuis

John Michael 6-3 Ricky Evans

Ian White 6-5 Haruki Muramatsu

Martin Schindler 6-1 Kirk Shepherd

Ronny Huybrechts 6-1 Wes Newton

Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 Ronnie Baxter

James Wade 6-2 Colin Roelofs

Matt Clark 6-1 Paul Rowley

Mervyn King 6-2 Brian Woods

Jeffrey de Graaf 6-4 Devon Petersen

Dave Chisnall 6-3 Andy Parsons

Peter Hudson 6-2 Ryan Palmer

Darren Webster 6-5 Jeffrey de Zwaan

John Henderson 6-1 Maik Langendorf

Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Mick McGowan

Mark Webster 6-5 Stuart Kellett

Steve West 6-4 Jan Dekker

Ryan Meikle 6-5 Keegan Brown

Benito van de Pas 6-2 Simon Stevenson

Ted Evetts 6-2 Yordi Meeuwisse

Jamie Lewis 6-4 Robbie Green

James Richardson 6-4 Tony Newell

Michael Smith 6-1 Harry Robinson

Jamie Bain 6-4 Aden Kirk

Steve Beaton 6-5 Ryan Searle

Simon Preston 6-3 Ross Twell

Peter Wright 6-1 Berry van Peer

Paul Nicholson 6-2 Stephen Burton

Darron Brown 6-5 Josh Payne

Warrick Scheffer 6-4 Ron Meulenkamp

Joe Cullen 6-2 Kevin Painter

Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Mark Barilli

Kyle Anderson 6-1 Bryan de Hoog

Shaun Griffiths 6-4 Mark Walsh

Rob Cross 6-2 Alan Norris

Max Hopp 6-4 Chris Quantock

Robert Thornton 6-3 Brendan Dolan

Richie Burnett 6-5 Richie Corner

Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Sven Groen - Kim Huybrechts hits nine-dart finish

Jamie Caven 6-3 Terry Temple

James Wilson 6-3 Matthew Dennant

Steve Lennon 6-4 Mickey Mansell

Steve Hine 6-3 Simon Whitlock

Jimmy Hendriks 6-5 Terry Roach

Justin Pipe 6-1 John Bowles

Ricky Williams 6-5 Dennis Smith

Gerwyn Price 6-2 Jim Brown

Jonny Clayton 6-2 Andy Boulton

Chris Dobey 6-2 Ray Campbell

Richard North 6-5 David Pallett

Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Mike De Decker

Jonathan Worsley 6-5 Lee Bryant

Jermaine Wattimena 6-0 Antonio Alcinas

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Vincent van der Voort

Gary Anderson 6-1 Adam Hunt

Darren Johnson 6-2 Andrew Gilding

Daryl Gurney 6-2 Robert Owen

Mick Todd 6-2 Scott Taylor

Second Round 

Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Scott Darbyshire

William O'Connor 6-2 Christian Kist

Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 Andy Jenkins

John Michael 6-4 Cristo Reyes

Martin Schindler 6-5 Ian White

Ronny Huybrechts 6-1 Dimitri Van den Bergh

James Wade 6-3 Matt Clark

Mervyn King 6-3 Jeffrey de Graaf

Dave Chisnall 6-4 Peter Hudson

John Henderson 6-5 Darren Webster

Mark Webster 6-5 Jelle Klaasen

Steve West 6-3 Ryan Meikle

Benito van de Pas 6-4 Ted Evetts

Jamie Lewis 6-5 James Richardson

Michael Smith 6-5 Jamie Bain

Simon Preston 6-4 Steve Beaton

Paul Nicholson 6-5 Peter Wright

Warrick Scheffer 6-1 Darron Brown

Raymond van Barneveld 6-0 Joe Cullen

Kyle Anderson 6-4 Shaun Griffiths

Rob Cross 6-3 Max Hopp

Richie Burnett 6-3 Robert Thornton

Jamie Caven 6-3 Kim Huybrechts

James Wilson 6-4 Steve Lennon

Steve Hine 6-3 Jimmy Hendriks

Justin Pipe 6-3 Ricky Williams

Gerwyn Price 6-4 Jonny Clayton

Chris Dobey 6-0 Richard North

Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Jonathan Worsley

Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Gary Anderson 6-3 Darren Johnson

Daryl Gurney 6-3 Mick Todd

Losers £500

Third Round 

William O'Connor 6-4 Michael van Gerwen

Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 John Michael

Martin Schindler 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts

Mervyn King 6-4 James Wade

Dave Chisnall 6-2 John Henderson

Steve West 6-5 Mark Webster

Jamie Lewis 6-1 Benito van de Pas

Michael Smith 6-5 Simon Preston

Paul Nicholson 6-3 Warrick Scheffer

Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Kyle Anderson

Rob Cross 6-2 Richie Burnett

Jamie Caven 6-0 James Wilson

Justin Pipe 6-4 Steve Hine

Gerwyn Price 6-4 Chris Dobey

Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena

Daryl Gurney 6-4 Gary Anderson

Losers £1,000

Fourth Round 

Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 William O'Connor

Mervyn King 6-1 Martin Schindler

Steve West 6-4 Dave Chisnall

Michael Smith 6-4 Jamie Lewis

Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Paul Nicholson

Rob Cross 6-4 Jamie Caven

Gerwyn Price 6-1 Justin Pipe

Daryl Gurney 6-2 Mensur Suljovic

Losers £1,500

Quarter-Finals 

Mervyn King 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse

Steve West 6-1 Michael Smith

Rob Cross 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld

Gerwyn Price 6-4 Daryl Gurney

Losers £2,250

Semi-Finals 

Mervyn King 6-5 Steve West

Rob Cross 6-5 Gerwyn Price

Losers £3,000

Final

Rob Cross 6-5 Mervyn King

Winner £10,000

Runner-Up £6,000