Visits: 12
Latest set of provisional qualifiers for World Championship to be confirmed at the end of Tuesday’s final Pro Tour event of the year
Last Updated: 15/10/19 10:20am
Brendan Dolan’s return to form continued with victory over Ian White at Players Championship 29 in Barnsley where Peter Wright broke the record for the highest average in a live broadcast match.
Dolan, who ended his five-year wait for a PDC title at Players Championship 22 in August, made it two in just over two months with a hard-fought 8-6 win over White in the final.
The Northern Irishman fired in 100+ averages to see off Mark Webster and Gerwyn Price on his way to the last four where he beat record-breaking ‘Snakebite’ in a last-leg shoot-out that sealed his place in the final.
“I can still do it, I played quality darts today at the right times and I think I deserved any luck I got,” said Dolan, who began his year by reaching the World Championship quarter-final at Alexandra Palace.
“The one in Hildesheim was more of a relief, whereas today I came into it with more belief that I could win having done it recently.
Players Championship 29
| Quarter-Finals | Ian White 6-1 Joe Cullen |
|---|---|
| Ron Meulenkamp 6-3 Dave Chisnall | |
| Brendan Dolan 6-2 Gerwyn Price | |
| Peter Wright 6-0 Krzysztof Ratajski | |
| Semi-Finals | Ian White 7-5 Ron Meulenkamp |
| Brendan Dolan 7-6 Peter Wright | |
| Final | Brendan Dolan 8-6 Ian White |
“When you’ve not been winning for five years your confidence is not so high and winning in Hildesheim has drastically changed that.
“In my head today I was determined to add money to my ranking to give me a shot of qualifying for the 2020 World Matchplay and World Grand Prix.
“I’ve missed those two events for the last three years and it’s killed me not being there, so hopefully next year I will be.”
Dolan produced checkouts of 136 and 161 to hold throw in two of the opening four legs of the final, before finding his way through to double three for the first break of the match in leg seven to take a 4-3 lead.
Another ton-plus finish opened up a two-leg cushion for Dolan, an advantage which he soon doubled by taking the next two legs to lead 7-4 and stand within one of the title.
But White, winner of two European Tour titles to go with four previous runner-up finishes across the year, mounted a spirited comeback and, with Dolan squandering three match darts in leg 12, ‘Diamond’ White found himself within a leg and trailing 6-7.
However, Dolan held firm and a strong leg on throw ended with him hitting the match-winning double at the fifth attempt.
The day was also notable for Wright producing an average of 123.5 in his 6-0 quarter-final win against Krzysztof Ratajski, the highest ever recorded in a live broadcast darts match.
The previous record broadcast average was 123.4, set by Michael van Gerwen in a 7-1 defeat of Michael Smith in the 2016 Premier League.
Elsewhere, the day was also a significant one for Ron Meulenkamp, who reached his sixth ProTour semi-final, but the Dutchman was unable to break his duck of never making it to a final.
Tuesday’s Players Championship 30 will be the final PDC ProTour event of 2019, after which the top 32 players on the one-year rolling ProTour Order of Merit will provisionally qualify for the 2019/2020 William Hill World Darts Championship, excluding players who will qualify as one of the top 32 players on the main PDC Order of Merit.
Darts is back on your Sky Sports screens next month with the Grand Slam of Darts, nine days of coverage from the Aldersley Leisure Village gets underway on Saturday, November 9.
