Anderson Claims 30th PC Title at PC7 as Lipscombe’s Dream Run Falls Short in Hildesheim
- Darts Central
- Mar 18
- 6 min read
Players Championship action returned to Germany for the second time this season with a double-header at Halle 39, Hildesheim.
An extraordinary 16 Tour Card holders opted out of PC7 and PC8, including seven Premier League stars—Michael van Gerwen being the only exception.
Other notable absentees included Jonny Clayton, Callan Rydz, Michele Turetta, Jules van Dongen, James Wade, Jim Williams, Nathan Rafferty, Viktor Tingstrom, and Brendan Dolan—who missed his first Players Championship event in 14 years.
Their absence created a unique opportunity for the rest of the tour to step up, seize a deep run, and potentially transform their PDC careers. Sixteen Challenge Tour players were called up as replacements, including experienced names like Darius Labanauskas, Kevin Burness, and Mervyn King, alongside newcomers such as Carl Sneyd and Michael Flynn.
Early Rounds: MvG Dumped Out by Springer, Nine-Darters Fly In
The only competing Premier League star, Michael van Gerwen, suffered an early exit at the hands of promising young German Niko Springer, losing 6-3. It was a disappointing display from van Gerwen, who averaged just 89.91 in defeat.
In contrast, the day started in style for Players Championship 4 winner Ryan Searle, who hit a nine-dart finish in the very first leg of his campaign against Joshua Richardson. Searle went on to win 6-3.
Another standout opening-round performance came from Scotsman Alan Soutar, who averaged 105.44 in a comeback 6-3 victory over Raymond van Barneveld—despite Barney posting an impressive 103.12 average himself.
The second round delivered the second nine-darter of the day, this time from Dirk van Duijvenbode, who landed the first perfect leg of his senior PDC career in a 6-2 win over Thomas Lovely. Meanwhile, Michael Smith endured a nightmare match, crashing out with a 6-0 whitewash at the hands of Marvin van Velzen, averaging just 73.93.
Elsewhere, there were statement performances from Damon Heta (107.69) and Gian van Veen (104.01) in their respective 6-1 routs over Thibault Tricole and Tim Wolters. Adam Lipscombe also impressed, producing his highest average as a PDC Tour Card holder (103.78) in a 6-3 victory over former WDF World Champion Andy Baetens.
The third round (Last 32) continued to provide surprises as 11 players advanced beyond this stage for the first time in 2025, marking a significant breakthrough. These players were: Jimmy van Schie, Adam Lipscombe, Karel Sedláček, Martijn Dragt, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Niko Springer, Tavis Dudeney, Daryl Gurney, Peter Wright, Danny van Trijp, and Ricky Evans.
Gary Anderson stood out as the only player to hit a ton-plus average in the third round (Last 32), posting 103.65 average in a dominant 6-2 win over Marvin van Velzen.
Last 16: Irish Perfection, Lipscombe’s Run Continues & Familiar Faces Reach the QFs
Willie O’Connor marked his return to form in stunning fashion, landing the third nine-darter of the day in a 6-1 victory over Jimmy van Schie to book his spot in the quarter-finals.
Dutch duo Dirk van Duijvenbode and Kevin Doets also progressed, with Doets impressively reaching his third consecutive Players Championship quarter-final. Meanwhile, Gary Anderson, Mike De Decker, and Peter Wright all battled through, standing out as the most established names to reach this stage.
Elsewhere, Adam Lipscombe continued his dream run, showcasing sensational combination finishing in a 6-1 demolition of Karel Sedláček. However, the round’s most notable display came from Polish No.1 Krzysztof Ratajski, who averaged a magnificent 106.20 in a 6-3 win over Daryl Gurney.
Quarter-Finals: All-Dutch Clash Sees Dirk Win as De Decker Marches On
In the quarter-finals, Dirk van Duijvenbode reached his first semi-final of the season with a 6-3 victory over fellow Dutchman Kevin Doets. Meanwhile, Mike De Decker continued his strong run in these Players Championship events, comfortably defeating Peter Wright 6-3 to book his second semi-final of the season.
Adam Lipscombe overcame a determined Willie O’Connor 6-4, staying in control of the match despite the Irishman’s persistence.
The standout performance of the round came from Gary Anderson, who posted a 104.72 average in a thrilling 6-5 victory over Krzysztof Ratajski. The Scotsman saw his 5-2 lead erased as Ratajski forced a decider, but Anderson held firm, producing a magnificent 11-darter on throw to seal the win.
Semi-Finals: Anderson’s Experience Tells while Lipscombe Holds His Nerve
In the semi-finals, De Decker made a strong start against Anderson, leading 2-1, but the two-time world champion quickly found his rhythm. He won six of the next seven legs, storming to a 7-3 victory and securing his first Pro Tour final of the season.
On the other side, Lipscombe continued his dream run, making a fast start against Van Duijvenbode by racing into a 4-1 lead. Throughout the match, he maintained his superb combination finishing, frustrating the Dutchman by holding his throw effectively in the latter stages. That proved decisive, as Lipscombe closed out a 7-4 win to reach his first-ever Pro Tour final.
Road to the Final:
Both Gary Anderson and Adam Lipscombe carved their way to the final through challenging matches, but the path each took to get there was quite different:
Round | Gary Anderson | Adam Lipscombe |
Last 128 | 6-2 vs Connor Scutt | 6-3 vs Michael Flynn |
Last 64 | 6-1 vs Andy Boulton | 6-3 vs Andy Baetens |
Last 32 | 6-2 vs Marvin van Velzen | 6-3 vs Damon Heta |
Last 16 | 6-2 vs Tavis Dudeney | 6-1 vs Karel Sedlacek |
Quarter-Final | 6-5 vs Krzysztof Ratajski | 6-4 vs William O'Connor |
Semi-Final | 7-3 vs Mike De Decker | 7-4 vs Dirk van Duijvenbode |
🏆 The Final: Gary Anderson Claims PC7 Victory
The final began nervously, with Lipscombe briefly taking a 2-1 lead. But Anderson soon found his form, dominating the latter stages to win 8-3, claiming 7 of the last 8 legs after a scrappy start.
Neither player was at their best, with Anderson averaging 93.64 and Lipscombe 89.58. However, Anderson's steadiness proved decisive as Lipscombe ran out of steam after a long day.
Despite the loss, Lipscombe can be proud of his performance. This was just his 7th Players Championship event, and he earned his tour card after advancing to stage 2 of Q-School following a late withdrawal. He then finished 4th out of 128 players in stage 1 to secure his spot.
Reaching his first PDC final was a remarkable achievement for the 28 year old, and he earned £10,000 while climbing to 91st in the world rankings from 102nd at the start of the day.
For Anderson, the victory marked his first Players Championship title of the season and an incredible milestone in his illustrious career – his 30th career title in these events. His tournament average of 98.60 helped him return to the top 16 in the world, moving ahead of 2023 World Champion Michael Smith in the process.
Talking Points & Highlights
💥 Springer Springs a Shock: Niko Springer pulled off a major upset by eliminating the only Premier League player in the field, Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman was far from his best, averaging just 89.91 in a 6-3 loss to the young German.
🎯 Shock Finalist: Adam Lipscombe’s impressive run saw him reach his first PDC final in just his 7th Players Championship event. Having only gained his tour card in January, Lipscombe made the most of the opportunities, jumping 11 places in the rankings to 91st. His remarkable run out of the pack proved he belongs at this level.
🔥 3 Perfect Legs: Three players hit the perfect nine-dart leg on the day. Ryan Searle opened his day with a nine-darter in his 6-3 victory over Josh Richardson. Dirk van Duijvenbode followed suit with his first ever nine-darter in senior PDC darts during his 6-2 win over Thomas Lovely. Finally, Willie O'Connor joined the club with a stunning nine-darter in his 6-1 rout of Jimmy van Schie in the Last 16.
🌟 Anderson Shines Brightest for 30th PC Event Win: Gary Anderson marked an incredible milestone, claiming his 30th Players Championship victory in a dominant performance. This achievement solidifies his legacy as one of the sport’s greats, proving once again that he has plenty to give in the 2025 season.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Gary Anderson’s Reaction
Speaking to PDC.tv after his victory, Anderson opened up about his struggles over the past few months.
"The last few months have been hard for me."
Despite battling physical setbacks since December, Anderson expressed relief and joy in securing his 30th title.
"I've been struggling since December, so it's nice to win one. I'm still enjoying playing darts, but sometimes my body doesn't play ball; I'll keep going."
He also praised Adam Lipscombe for his impressive run, acknowledging the Englishman’s potential.
"Fair play to Adam, I expect him to do well and put a hole in the rankings."
📅 What’s Next?
The darts action continues tomorrow with Players Championship 8 in Hildesheim. With the excitement from today still fresh, several big questions remain:
Can Gary Anderson build on his success and secure back-to-back titles?
How many more 9-darters will be hit following today’s three perfect legs?
Will we see more surprise deep runs in PC8?
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