Białecki Secures Stunning Breakthrough Win at PC22
- Darts Central
- Jul 29
- 6 min read
After a three-week break, the Players Championship season resumed with an intriguing event at Hildesheim’s Halle 39. With many top stars opting out following the World Matchplay, the field was wide open, offering a golden opportunity for the chasing pack to shine.
Remarkably, the entire top 12 in the world rankings chose not to participate, with several players instead preparing for the upcoming World Series events in Australia and New Zealand. That left just two top 16 names in the field, World No.14 Ross Smith and World No.15 Danny Noppert, both entering the Hildesheim double header.
Seizing the moment, Poland’s rising star Sebastian Białecki stunned the field to claim his maiden Players Championship title, capitalising on the depleted lineup with a string of superb performances at PC22.
Here’s how a dramatic day unfolded…
Round 1: Schindler Sent Packing, Mansell Posts Highest Average
The opening round saw top seed Martin Schindler suffer an early exit, falling 6–5 to Connor Scutt. Schindler averaged just 90.02 and squandered multiple match darts in a disappointing defeat.
Dom Taylor continued to impress on the Pro Tour, averaging 102.67 in a commanding 6–2 victory over Graham Hall, while Mickey Mansell, a previous Players Championship winner, posted the highest average of the round with a superb 106.32 in his 6–2 win over Florian Hempel.
There were more early casualties, including one of the Pro Tour’s standout performers, Wessel Nijman, who lost 6–3 to fellow Dutchman Jamai van den Herik. The 22-year-old impressed with a 101.59 average to take the win. Meanwhile, Dimitri Van den Bergh’s struggles continued, averaging below 90 in a routine defeat to Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski.
Elsewhere, James Hurrell endured a nightmare outing, recording the lowest average of the day, just 67, in a crushing 6–0 whitewash at the hands of Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson.
Rounds 2 & 3: Harrysson Hits PB, Smith Knocked Out
Andreas Harrysson continued his blistering form in round two, producing a PDC personal best average of 110.18 in a 6–2 demolition of Max Hopp. There were more ton-plus displays as Joe Cullen (102.81) and Kevin Doets (101.92) cruised to 6–2 wins over Stefan Bellmont and Adam Hunt, respectively.
Elsewhere, Dave Chisnall and Mike De Decker struggled, both averaging below 87 in heavy defeats to English duo Matt Dennant and Cam Crabtree. The highest-ranked player in the field, World No.14 Ross Smith, was also sent packing, edged out 6–4 by Wesley Plaisier in a high-quality contest. The Dutchman impressed with a 101.59 average, narrowly better than Smith’s 99.16.
In round three, Gian van Veen (106.74) and Cam Crabtree (105.41) produced the top two averages of the round, delivering emphatic 6–1 victories over Owen Bates and Steve Lennon.
Elsewhere, German prospect Niko Springer suffered a surprise 6–5 defeat to Kevin Burness, while Gabriel Clemens, Keane Barry, and Danny Noppert all booked their spots in the last 16.
Last 16: Van den Herik Continues Fine Run, Crabtree Impresses Again
Dutch duo Gian van Veen and Jimmy van Schie booked their places in the quarter-finals with solid wins over Ryan Meikle and Kevin Burness, respectively.
Danny Noppert halted Gabriel Clemens’s push for a maiden PDC title, edging a close contest 6–5.
Elsewhere, Matthew Dennant came through a scrappy encounter with Viktor Tingstrom, winning 6–2, while Cam Crabtree delivered another composed display, averaging 95.84 in a 6–4 victory over Keane Barry.
Niels Zonneveld came out on top in an all-Dutch clash with Wesley Plaisier, winning 6–4 to reach his fifth Pro Tour quarter-final of the season. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Jamai van den Herik continued to impress on the circuit, making his first quarter-final in just his fifth appearance as a Pro Tour call-up.
However, the standout performance of the round belonged to Sebastian Białecki, who averaged 102.00 in a clinical 6–4 win over title winner Cameron Menzies to seal his place in the last eight.
Quarter-Finals: Dutch Record Set, but Van Veen Departs
It was a historic day for the Netherlands on the Pro Tour, as five Dutch players reached the quarter-finals of a PDC event for the first time ever. However, three of the five were eliminated at this stage.
Gian van Veen was one of those to bow out, falling 6–4 to Sebastian Białecki, who delivered the top performance of the round with a 101 average. Meanwhile, Cam Crabtree continued his excellent day with a 99.82 average in a 6–2 win over fellow Englishman Matt Dennant.
In two scrappy all-Dutch affairs, Danny Noppert edged past Jimmy van Schie, while Niels Zonneveld overcame Jamai van den Herik to complete the semi-final lineup.
Semi-Finals: Białecki and Zonneveld Fight Back to Reach Final
Sebastian Białecki produced a superb comeback to defeat Danny Noppert 7–5 in a thrilling semi-final. Noppert took a 3–0 lead with legs in 19, 21, and 17 darts before Białecki responded with an 18-dart hold, a 16-dart break, and a sensational 161 checkout to level at 3–3.
The Pole then added a 14-dart break and a 15-dart hold to go 5–3 up. Although he missed a dart at bull for 6–3, Noppert replied with a 114 finish to stay in it. Białecki broke again in 15 darts to move to the brink, but Noppert held with a 13-darter to close the gap. In a tense final leg, Białecki held his nerve with a brilliant 156 checkout to seal his place in the final, knocking out the World No.15 in style.
In the other semi-final, Cam Crabtree raced into a 4–0 lead with clinical legs of 14, 16, 14, and 15 darts. However, missed doubles in the next two legs allowed Niels Zonneveld back in, and he capitalised with a stunning run of five straight legs, including a 12-darter and a 10-darter, to take a 5–4 lead.
Crabtree hit back with a 105 finish to level, but Zonneveld held in 17 darts before producing a brilliant 171 setup and pinning double 18 for a 13-dart break to complete a dramatic 7–5 comeback victory.
Road to the Final:
Both Sebastian Białecki and Niels Zonneveld may have been surprise finalists on the Pro Tour this season, but each produced a string of impressive performances to reach the decider at Players Championship 22.
Here’s how their respective runs unfolded:
Round | Sebastian Białecki | Niels Zonneveld |
Last 128 | 6-5 vs Lukas Wenig | 6-1 vs Haupai Puha |
Last 64 | 6-2 vs Adam Paxton | 6-2 vs Henry Coates |
Last 32 | 6-4 vs Luke Woodhouse | 6-5 vs Joe Cullen |
Last 16 | 6-4 vs Cameron Menzies | 6-4 vs Wesley Plaisier |
Quarter-Final | 6-4 vs Gian van Veen | 6-1 vs Jamai van den Herik |
Semi-Final | 7-5 vs Danny Noppert | 7-5 vs Cam Crabtree |
🏆 The Final: Białecki stuns Zonneveld with late charge
Sebastian Białecki was in uncharted territory heading into the final, having never gone beyond the Last 16 of a Players Championship event before. In contrast, Niels Zonneveld had built steadily across the season, reaching two quarter-finals and two semi-finals, and appeared well-positioned for a breakthrough, especially in a field lacking many of the sport’s top names.
The first eight legs went entirely with throw, with both players holding firm to reach 4–4. The highlight came in leg two, as Zonneveld produced a brilliant 10-dart hold to announce his arrival in the contest.
Zonneveld then edged ahead, capitalising on Białecki's brief wobble to win legs in 15 and 19 darts, moving within two of the title at 6–4.
But Białecki wasn’t done. A steady 16-dart hold kept him alive at 6–5, before he survived three missed darts at double from Zonneveld and punished him with a clutch 65 checkout to level at 6–6.
Under the highest pressure, the young Pole found his best legs of the match, holding in 12 darts, then breaking in 13 to complete a stunning 8–6 victory and secure one of the most surprising title wins of the season.
🏅 Champion: Sebastian Białecki
Tournament Average: 95.05
180s: 17
Prize Money: £15,000
Highlight Performance: 6-4 Last 16 vs Cameron Menzies (102.00 average)
Talking Points & Highlights
🇳🇱 New Dutch Pro Tour record
For the first time in PDC Pro Tour history, five Dutch players reached the quarter-finals of a single event, a strong sign of the depth of talent coming from one of darts’ most prolific regions.
🇸🇪 Harrysson produces PDC PB
Andreas Harrysson continued to impress, posting a PDC career-best average of 110.18 during his commanding 6–2 second-round victory over Max Hopp.
⭐ Białecki wins 1st PDC Title
Before today, Sebastian Białecki had never progressed beyond the Last 16 in a Pro Tour event during his debut year as a PDC tour card holder. That all changed with this breakthrough win. The former UK Open quarter-finalist took home the top prize of £15,000, defeating established PDC title winners Cameron Menzies, Gian van Veen, and Danny Noppert en route to the final, where he produced a gutsy performance to overcome in-form Niels Zonneveld.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Sebastian Białecki’s Reaction to PDC.tv:
“I don’t know what to say. I’m over the moon,” said Białecki, who is currently in his first year as a Tour Card Holder.
“I was 5-3 down in my first match, but I made the comeback, and from there my confidence and game just kept improving.
“The game against Cameron Menzies was probably the most important for me, because I’d lost five times in the Last 16 before.
“My main goal is to keep playing my best darts. The most important target was to qualify for the World Championship through the ProTour, so hopefully I’ve done enough now.”
📅 What’s Next?
Players Championship 22
July 30th at Halle 39, Hildesheim (Live on PDC.tv)
Australian Darts Masters
August 8th-August 9th at WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong (Live on PDC.tv)
New Zealand Darts Masters
August 15th-August 16th at Spark Arena, Auckland (Live on PDC.tv)
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