Mensur Suljovic wins his third PDC title and his second in two weeks at Players Championship 20 in Dublin
Mensur Suljovic won the third PDC title of his career - and a second in two weeks - as he defeated Stephen Bunting 6-4 in the Players Championship 20 final in Dublin on Saturday.
The Austrian defied odds of 40/1 a fortnight ago to claim his maiden televised major at the Champions League of Darts and he maintained his hot streak of form with another success on the eve of the World Grand Prix, which runs from October 1-7 at the Citywest Hotel Convention Centre.
He started the day with a 6-0 thrashing of Ted Evetts 6-0 and followed that up with wins over Richie Corner (6-2) and Justin Pipe (6-5) before seeing off Alan Norris 6-1.
Next up was world number one Michael van Gerwen in the quarters but he upset the odds to claim a 6-3 victory and made the most of such a scalp by seeing off James Wilson and Bunting by 6-4 scorelines to clinch a winners cheque of £10,000.
Suljovic also reached the semi-finals of Friday's Players Championship event, where he hit a nine-darter en route to losing to eventual winner Rob Cross, so he will certainly be a tempting proposition for plenty of darts punters at 22/1 with Sky Bet to win the forthcoming major in Dublin, especially because he's in the opposite half of the draw to odds-on favourite MVG.
The popular 45-year-old is in the same half as two giants of the game he conquered at the Champions League of Darts - Gary Anderson (twice) and Peter Wright - so there's nobody he'll fear as he strives for more televised glory.
This title was his first on the PDC's ProTour, with his other coming on the European Tour in 2016 when he won the International Darts Open.
Suljovic told the PDC: "I feel brilliant. I felt like I played better darts yesterday but I am very happy with how everything is going at the moment. I'm playing well but tomorrow is a different day and a different tournament."
Bunting was appearing in his first PDC final for 18 months and looked on course for victory when he opened up that three leg cushion with the aid of a brilliant 160 checkout in the first leg.
But Suljovic hit back, using just 55 darts to win the next four legs, including a superb 121 checkout on the bullseye.
Players Championship 20 Results
Last 128
Ricky Evans 6-3 Peter Wright
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Ryan Searle
Mark Webster 6-2 Jan Dekker
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Martin Schindler
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Ryan Palmer
Tony Newell 6-4 Jamie Bain
Kyle Anderson 6-1 Max Hopp
John Michael 6-3 Antonio Alcinas
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Harry Robinson
Dennis Smith 6-5 Scott Taylor
Ronny Huybrechts 6-1 Ryan Meikle
Dean Forde 6-4 Richie Burnett
Terry Temple 6-5 Joe Cullen
Madars Razma 6-3 Chris Dobey
James Wade 6-3 Warrick Scheffer
Keegan Brown 6-4 Mick McGowan
Kirk Shepherd 6-4 Daryl Gurney
John Part 6-2 Jamie Caven
Richard North 6-4 David Pallett
Yordi Meeuwisse 6-2 Stephen Burton
Ian White 6-2 Paul Rowley
Andrew Gilding 6-2 Kevin Painter
Stephen Bunting 6-1 John Bowles
James Richardson 6-3 Wes Newton
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
Joe Murnan 6-3 Jonathan Worsley
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Jeffrey de Graaf
Brian Woods 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Benito van de Pas 6-5 Andy Boulton
Luke Woodhouse 6-2 Simon Preston
Robert Owen 6-5 Darren Webster
Steve Lennon 6-3 Chris Quantock
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Mick Todd
Steve Hine 6-3 John Norman Jnr
Steve West 6-1 Callum Loose
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-3 Peter Jacques
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Steve Beaton
Ron Meulenkamp 6-5 Mark Walsh
Mensur Suljovic 6-0 Ted Evetts
Richie Corner 6-5 Wayne Jones
Justin Pipe 6-2 Callan Rydz
Devon Petersen 6-5 Haruki Muramatsu
Alan Norris 6-4 Aden Kirk
Robbie Green 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Diogo Portela
Mike De Decker 6-2 Zoran Lerchbacher
Rob Cross 6-5 Craig Gilchrist
Lee Bryant 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Christian Kist
Peter Hudson 6-4 Jimmy Hendriks
Vincent Kamphuis 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
Darren Johnson 6-2 Maik Langendorf
John Henderson 6-2 Sven Groen
William O'Connor 6-1 Radoslaw Szaganski
Michael Smith 6-4 Matthew Dennant
Josh Payne 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Robert Thornton 6-5 Matt Clark
Matthew Edgar 6-4 Andy Hamilton
Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-4 Mervyn King
James Wilson 6-0 Berry van Peer
Simon Stevenson 6-3 Cristo Reyes
Paul Harvey 6-2 Ross Twell
Last 64
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Ricky Evans
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Mark Webster
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Tony Newell
Kyle Anderson 6-5 John Michael
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Dennis Smith
Ronny Huybrechts 6-4 Dean Forde
Madars Razma 6-5 Terry Temple
Keegan Brown 6-5 James Wade
John Part 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Yordi Meeuwisse 6-4 Richard North
Ian White 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Stephen Bunting 6-5 James Richardson
Joe Murnan 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Vincent van der Voort 6-0 Brian Woods
Benito van de Pas 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Robert Owen 6-4 Steve Lennon
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Steve Hine
Steve West 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Raymond van Barneveld 6-0 Jermaine Wattimena
Ron Meulenkamp 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Richie Corner
Justin Pipe 6-1 Devon Petersen
Alan Norris 6-3 Robbie Green
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Mike De Decker
Rob Cross 6-4 Lee Bryant
Peter Hudson 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Vincent Kamphuis 6-5 Darren Johnson
John Henderson 6-4 William O'Connor
Michael Smith 6-4 Josh Payne
Robert Thornton 6-3 Matthew Edgar
James Wilson 6-3 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Simon Stevenson 6-2 Paul Harvey
Last 32
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Kyle Anderson
Ronny Huybrechts 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Madars Razma 6-3 Keegan Brown
Yordi Meeuwisse 6-1 John Part
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Ian White
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Joe Murnan
Robert Owen 6-4 Benito van de Pas
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Steve West
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Ron Meulenkamp
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Justin Pipe
Alan Norris 6-3 Adrian Lewis
Rob Cross 6-4 Peter Hudson
John Henderson 6-1 Vincent Kamphuis
Robert Thornton 6-1 Michael Smith
James Wilson 6-3 Simon Stevenson
Last 16
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Jamie Lewis
Madars Razma 6-2 Ronny Huybrechts
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Yordi Meeuwisse
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Robert Owen
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Alan Norris
John Henderson 6-4 Rob Cross
James Wilson 6-2 Robert Thornton
Last Eight
Madars Razma 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
James Wilson 6-3 John Henderson
Last Four
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Madars Razma
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 James Wilson
Final
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Stephen Bunting