PDC Players Championship- 2

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN won the second Players Championship of the year courtesy of a 6-1 victory against Dean Winstanley at the Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday.
The reigning World Champion began his road to a third title of 2014 with a trio of 6-2 wins over Andy Parsons, Andy Jenkins and John Part before defeating Wales’ Gerwyn Price 6-3 to secure a quarter-final spot.

There, the world number one defeated World Youth Champion Michael Smith 6-4 with the aid of a 164 checkout, before sealing a place in the final thanks to a 6-3 win over Belgian number one Kim Huybrechts.

Van Gerwen faced Dean Winstanley for the £10,000 first prize, and after sharing the first two legs the Dutch sensation won the third leg with a 125 checkout.

The world number one broke throw in the next after Winstanley wasted chances to level, before van Gerwen streaked away to a 5-1 lead with the aid of 104 and 140 checkouts.

Winstanley hit his second maximum of the game in the seventh leg, but it was not enough to stop the Dutchman as double top saw him secure the title - his 20th PDC victory - in just 12 minutes.

Winstanley, who enjoyed the best performance of his PDC career to date, came through hard-fought games Matt Padgett, UK Open finalist Terry Jenkins and Joe Murnan to reach the last 16 phase.

The former Lakeside Championship finalist then overcame Kevin Dowling before recording an excellent victory against Saturday's Players Championship winner Gary Anderson, coming out on top narrowly in a deciding leg following a high-quality clash.

The Yorkshire ace followed up that fine victory by ending Raymond van Barneveld’s hopes of the title with a 6-4 win before falling short in the decider against van Gerwen.

Belgian ace Huybrechts reached his second semi-final of 2014 in a run which included a fine win over James Wade in the last 32 stage – gaining revenge for his 6-0 thrashing from the Aldershot star 24 hours earlier.

Huybrechts, who teamed up with brother Ronny to reach the final of 2013 PDC World Cup of Darts, overcame the ever-steady Ian White 6-4 before ending Christian Kist’s day with a 6-2 victory.

That put the Belgian through to the last four but he was denied a place in the final by van Gerwen, having to settle for £2,500 in prize money.

Van Barneveld enjoyed his best run in a PDC ProTour event so far in 2014 with a strong run to the last four, but was denied a place in the final after a 6-4 loss to Winstanley, despite ending the game with a 101 average.

Saturday’s Players Championship winner Anderson was narrowly defeated at the quarter-final stage by Winstanley, while Norwich's Darren Webster reached the last eight for a second successive day to complete a consistent weekend.

2012 Lakeside Champion Christian Kist reached the last eight for the second time since joining the PDC circuit in January before having his good run ended by Huybrechts. while Michael Smith took away £1,500 for his run to the quarter-finals.

Welsh newcomer Gerwyn Price enjoyed his best run in a ProTour event since securing his Tour Card at the Qualifying School in Wigan two months ago.

The 28-year-old Cross Keys rugby union player defeated former Players Championship Finals winner Paul Nicholson and promising Kettering youngster Ricky Evans before losing 6-3 to van Gerwen.

Andrew Gilding, who produced a superb performance in Saturday’s tournament – losing in the decider to Gary Anderson – was brought back down to earth by a 6-1 defeat to Joe Murnan.

Major championship finalists Andy Hamilton, Mervyn King and Brendan Dolan were all first round casualties, while Premier League star Dave Chisnall suffered a first round exit for the second successive event.

Players Championship 2
Barnsley Metrodome, March 16 2014
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-2 Andy Parsons
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Mark Barilli
John Part (32) 6-3 Terry Temple
John Henderson 6-2 Wayne Pepper
Ricky Evans 6-3 Andy Hamilton (16)
Arron Monk 6-3 Scott Rand
Paul Nicholson (17) 6-1 Joey Palfreyman
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Zoran Lerchbacher
Steve Beaton (8) 6-3 Martyn Turner
Denis Ovens 6-5 Mark Webster
Jamie Lewis (25) 6-5 Joe Cullen
Keegan Brown 6-3 Josh Payne
Peter Hudson 6-4 Jamie Caven (9)
Robert Owen 6-4 John Bowles
Michael Smith (24) 6-2 Adam Hunt
Stuart White 6-5 Kevin Voornhout
Kim Huybrechts (5) 6-5 James Hubbard
Ron Meulenkamp 6-2 Rowby-John Rodriguez
James Wade (28) 6-3 Pete Dyos
Ben Ward 6-5 Gino Vos
Ian White (12) 6-2 Ian Moss
David Ladley 6-0 Kevin Thomas
Stuart Kellett (21) 6-1 Steve Hine
Matthew Edgar 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Christian Kist 6-5 Dave Chisnall (4)
Mareno Michels 6-5 James Richardson
Richie Burnett (29) 6-4 Joey Ten Berge
Mark Cox 6-1 Darren Whittingham
Simon Whitlock (13) 6-3 Darron Brown
Steve West 6-4 Ryan Harrington
Brian Woods 6-5 Andy Smith (20)
Darren Johnson 6-4 Antonio Alcinas
Gary Anderson (2) 6-5 David Dodds
Steve Brown 6-3 Marc Dewsbury
Vincent van der Voort (31) 6-2 Campbell Jackson
Ronny Huybrechts 6-0 Glenn Spearing
Kirk Shepherd 6-4 Justin Pipe (15)
Benito van de Pas 6-3 Michael Mansell
Kevin Painter (18) 6-3 Jason Hogg
Kevin McDine 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Robert Thornton (7) 6-3 Jim Walker
Joe Murnan 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Terry Jenkins (26) 6-1 Dan Russell
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Matt Padgett
Wes Newton (10) 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Mark Walsh 6-1 Jerry Hendriks
Mark Hylton 6-5 Jelle Klaasen (23)
Kevin Dowling 6-1 Chris Aubrey
Tony Newell 6-5 Peter Wright (6)
Dennis Smith 6-5 Gary Stone
Wayne Jones (27) 6-5 Ross Smith
Colin Osborne 6-2 Tomas Seyler
Ross Twell 6-2 Mervyn King (11)
Conan Whitehead 6-3 Paul Amos
Raymond van Barneveld (22) 6-1 David Pallett
Kyle Anderson 6-2 Steve Grubb
Jyhan Artut 6-5 Brendan Dolan (3)
Michael Barnard 6-3 Stuart Anderson
Darren Webster (30) 6-1 Ryan De Vreede
Mick Todd 6-1 John Newland
Adrian Lewis (14) 6-5 William O'Connor
Johnny Haines 6-4 Jamie Bain
Ronnie Baxter (19) 6-1 Dennis Priestley
Nigel Heydon 6-3 Colin Lloyd

Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Andy Jenkins
John Part 6-4 John Henderson
Ricky Evans 6-1 Arron Monk
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Paul Nicholson
Steve Beaton 6-4 Denis Ovens
Jamie Lewis 6-0 Keegan Brown
Peter Hudson 6-1 Robert Owen
Michael Smith 6-4 Stuart White
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Ron Meulenkamp
James Wade 6-2 Ben Ward
Ian White 6-3 David Ladley
Matthew Edgar 6-1 Stuart Kellett
Christian Kist 6-3 Mareno Michels
Mark Cox 6-5 Richie Burnett
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Steve West
Darren Johnson 6-4 Brian Woods
Gary Anderson 6-3 Steve Brown
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts
Kirk Shepherd 6-2 Benito van de Pas
Kevin Painter 6-4 Kevin McDine
Joe Murnan 6-3 Robert Thornton
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Terry Jenkins
Wes Newton 6-4 Mark Walsh
Kevin Dowling 6-1 Mark Hylton
Tony Newell 6-4 Dennis Smith
Wayne Jones 6-0 Colin Osborne
Ross Twell 6-3 Conan Whithead
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Kyle Anderson
Michael Barnard 6-2 Jyhan Artut
Darren Webster 6-4 Mick Todd
Adrian Lewis 6-1 Johnny Haines
Ronnie Baxter 6-0 Nigel Heydon
Losers £250

Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 John Part
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Ricky Evans
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Steve Beaton
Michael Smith 6-4 Peter Hudson
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 James Wade
Ian White 6-0 Matthew Edgar
Christian Kist 6-0 Mark Cox
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Darren Johnson
Gary Anderson 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Kevin Painter 6-1 Kirk Shepherd
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Joe Murnan
Kevin Dowling 6-5 Wes Newton
Wayne Jones 6-0 Tony Newell
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Ross Twell
Darren Webster 6-3 Michael Barnard
Ronnie Baxter 6-5 Adrian Lewis
Losers £500

Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Michael Smith 6-5 Jamie Lewis
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Ian White
Christian Kist 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Gary Anderson 6-5 Kevin Painter
Dean Winstanley 6-1 Kevin Dowling
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Wayne Jones
Darren Webster 6-1 Ronnie Baxter
Losers £1,000

Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Michael Smith
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Christian Kist
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Gary Anderson
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Darren Webster
Losers £1,500

Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Kim Huybrechts
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Losers £2,500

Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Dean Winstanley
Winner £10,000
Runner-up £5,000