The German darts pros are eliminated early from the third Players Championship tournament. Niko Springer performs best.
The third Players Championship tournament did not go as hoped for the German darts pros. In Wigan, England, eight of the 13 German starters were eliminated in the first round.
This included Gabriel Clemens, who had regained strength after the World Championship, losing 4:6 in legs to Dutchman Richard Veenstra.
Gabriel Clemens was eliminated in the first round
Players Championship: Springer wins German duel
In the second round, Kai Gotthardt (2:6 against Dirk van Duijvenbode) and SPORT1 expert Max Hopp were also eliminated, with Hopp losing 3:6 against Niko Springer in the German duel.
In round three, Lukas Wenig (1:6 against Cristo Reyes) and Ricardo Pietreczko (0:6 against Darryl Pilgrim) were also eliminated. Pilgrim had previously defeated World Championship finalist Gian van Veen (6:3).
Springer was the only German to reach the round of 16, where he was defeated by Kevin Doets 3:6 in legs. The two-time World Championship round of 16 participants played with a 3-dart average of 103.18, the best scoring in the round of 16. Springer achieved an average of 89.95 points.
Dobey takes the day’s victory – Littler and Schindler absent
England’s Chris Dobey secured the day’s victory. He clearly defeated his compatriot Stephen Bunting 8:1 in legs in the final.
It was already clear before the start of the tournament that three big names, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, and Gary Anderson, would skip both tournaments in Wigan. Germany’s number one, Martin Schindler, and Matthias Ehlers also withdrew their participation beforehand.
A total of 34 Players Championship tournaments are held and recorded in their own ranking. The best 64 players will compete in the big final in Minehead at the end of the year.