Nijman wins maiden Players Championship title

Dutchman Wessel Nijman claimed his first Players Championship title aft an 8-5 triumph complete Stephen Bunting connected nan first of 3 days of action successful Wigan.

The 24-year-old is backmost connected nan circuit aft serving a suspension for breaching betting and anti-corruption rules.

He was banned for 5 years successful October 2020, but half of nan prohibition was suspended and he returned to nan athletics successful early 2023 and is now successful his first afloat twelvemonth connected nan ProTour.

On his measurement to Tuesday’s last he hit Mervyn King, Ryan Searle, Krzysztof Ratajski and Jose de Sousa, earlier a 7-6 triumph complete in-form Gary Anderson.

The Scot, a two-time PDC world champion, deed a nine-darter successful his second-round triumph complete Jamie Hughes and besides dispatched existent world champion and world number 1 Luke Humphries successful nan past eight.

Bunting, nan reigning Masters champion, had sewage past Luke Littler 7-6 successful nan semi-finals and led 2-0 successful nan last earlier Nijman won nan adjacent 5 legs to return control.

"It is ever difficult to play a ProTour final, but I knew I could win," Nijman said.

"At nan commencement of nan twelvemonth I was hitting a 100 mean but I felt for illustration I was unlucky and mislaid immoderate games.

"But I was diligent and I started to bring it up and deed those lucifer darts.

"My extremity was to get into nan apical 64 aft 2 years connected nan Tour, but it looks for illustration I will make it this year."