Three players hit nine-dart finishes and Michael van Gerwen was eliminated in the first round before Gary Anderson won his 30th Players Championship title on an eventful day in Germany.
Ryan Searle, Dirk van Duijvenbode and William O’Connor were the men to record perfect legs in Hildesheim, but it was Anderson who triumphed at Players Championship 7, beating Adam Lipscombe 8-3 in the final after winning seven of the last eight legs.
Van Gerwen – the only Premier League player in action with Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall, Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey and Rob Cross sitting out – lost 6-3 to Niko Springer in the last 128.
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Ryan Searle barely celebrated after hitting a nine-darter at the Players Championship – and the referee then wrongly announced a match-winning dart!
Anderson ‘over the moon’ with victory
Speaking to PDC TV after his victory, Anderson said: “The last few months have been hard for me.
“I started off iffy today but picked up throughout the day, so I am over the moon. I have been struggling since December so it’s nice to get one.
“I enjoy playing darts. Sometimes it doesn’t play ball body-wise and that’s what I have got to put up with.”
Anderson won seven of the last eight legs to beat Lipscombe 8-3
Anderson – who lost in the second round at the 2025 World Darts Championship – pipped Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 in the quarter-finals on Monday and then saw off reigning World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker 7-3 in the semi-finals.
Lipscombe, meanwhile, defeated O’Connor 6-4 in the quarters and then overcame Van Duijvenbode 7-4 in the last four as he came close to a title in his just his eighth event since since securing a Tour Card for the first time in January.
Anderson said of Lipscombe, who also beat Damon Heta en route to the final: “Fair play to Adam. I expect him to do well and put a hole in the rankings.”
Players Championship 8 will be held at the same venue on Wednesday before the series switches to Leicester for events 9 and 10 on March 31 and April 1 respectively.
Players Championship 7 – final-stage results
Final
- Gary Anderson 8-3 Adam Lipscombe
Semi-finals
- Adam Lipscombe 7-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Gary Anderson 7-3 Mike De Decker
Quarter-finals
- Adam Lipscombe 6- 4 William O’Connor
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 6- 3 Kevin Doets
- Gary Anderson 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
- Mike De Decker 6-3 Peter Wright
Players Championship winners and schedule 2025
February 10: Players Championship 1 – Winner: Rob Cross
February 11: Players Championship 2 – Winner: Gerwyn Price
February 17: Players Championship 3 – Winner: Chris Dobey
February 18: Players Championship 4 – Winner: Ryan Searle
March 11: Players Championship 5 – Winner: Joe Cullen
March 12: Players Championship 6 – Winner: Gian van Veen
March 17: Players Championship 7 – Winner: Gary Anderson
March 18: Players Championship 8 (Hildesheim, Germany)
March 31: Players Championship 9 (Leicester)
April 1: Players Championship 10 (Leicester)
April 8: Players Championship 11 (Leicester)
April 9: Players Championship 12 (Leicester)
April 14: Players Championship 13 (Rosmalen, Netherlands)
April 15: Players Championship 14 (Rosmalen, Netherlands)
May 12: Players Championship 15 (Hildesheim, Germany)
May 13: Players Championship 16 (Hildesheim, Germany)
June 17: Players Championship 17 (Leicester)
June 18: Players Championship 18 (Leicester)
June 19: Players Championship 19 (Leicester)
July 8: Players Championship 20 (Leicester)
July 9: Players Championship 21 (Leicester)
July 29: Players Championship 22 (Hildesheim, Germany)
July 30: Players Championship 23 (Hildesheim, Germany)
August 25: Players Championship 24 (Milton Keynes)
August 26: Players Championship 25 (Milton Keynes)
September 9: Players Championship 26 (Hildesheim, Germany)
September 10: Players Championship 27 (Hildesheim, Germany)
September 30: Players Championship 28 (Leicester)
October 1: Players Championship 29 (Leicester)
October 2: Players Championship 30 (Leicester)
October 14: Players Championship 31 (Wigan)
October 15: Players Championship 32 (Wigan)
October 29: Players Championship 33 (Wigan)
October 30: Players Championship 34 (Wigan)
Watch Night Seven of Premier League Darts, from Cardiff, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 7pm on Thursday. You can also stream darts and more sport with NOW.
