Clayton Cruises to PC14 Victory to Deny Gruellich
- Darts Central
- Apr 15
- 6 min read
Following Damon Heta’s victory in Players Championship 13 yesterday, marking his 10th PDC title, all eyes turned to the second half of the double-header at the Autotron in Rosmalen for Players Championship 14.
There were three key changes from yesterday’s event. PC13 finalist Nathan Aspinall opted out, along with Dimitri van den Bergh and Scott Williams, both of whom withdrew due to illness. They were replaced by non-tour card holders Jimmy van Schie, Jeffrey Sparidaans, and Jarno Bottenberg from the Netherlands.
Early Rounds: MvG Breaks Streak & Smith Nails Perfect Leg
In Round 1, Jonny Clayton produced the standout performance, averaging 111.16 in a dominant 6-1 victory over George Killington. Other notable performances came from Wessel Nijman (106.49), Ross Smith (104.83), Josh Rock (103.49), and Dirk van Duijvenbode (102.66), who all posted strong averages to secure their spots in Round 2.
Elsewhere, PC13 winner Damon Heta sailed through with a 6-3 victory over Chris Landman, while three-time PC winner this season Gerwyn Price also advanced, defeating Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-2. Michael van Gerwen ended his five-game losing streak on the Players Championship circuit with a crucial 6-3 win over Owen Bates, averaging 94.64 in a much-needed victory for the Green Machine.
In Round 2, three Players Championship title winners this season were eliminated. Josh Rock lost to Robert Grundy 6-2, Gian van Veen was beaten 6-4 by Brendan Dolan, and Ryan Searle suffered a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Mickey Mansell.
The highlight performance of the round came from Michael Smith, who averaged 102.74 in a 6-3 win over Welshman Nick Kenny. Ross Smith also made a mark, hitting a perfect 9-dart leg in a 6-3 victory over Thibault Tricole, finishing with an average of 99.07.
Other players who impressed and progressed to Round 3 included Jeffrey de Graaf, Maik Kuivenhoven, and Martin Schindler.
In Round 3, Dirk van Duijvenbode continued his strong form, averaging 109.05 in a 6-2 win over PC11 winner Cameron Menzies. Gerwyn Price delivered another dominant performance, dispatching Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 with a 102.94 average.
Yesterday’s winner, Damon Heta, underperformed in this round, averaging just 89.76 in a 6-3 loss to Ricardo Pietreczko. Challenge Tour call-up Andreas Harrysson continued his fine run, whitewashing a below-par Brendan Dolan 6-0 to reach the last 16.
Notable names advancing to the next round included Jonny Clayton (102.66), Michael Smith (102.48), and Michael van Gerwen (100.68), all still searching for their first title of the season.
Last 16: MvG Thrashed as Price & Dobey Denied
Michael Smith booked his place in the quarter-finals with a 6-2 win over Darren Beveridge, despite averaging just 85.17. Danny Noppert also advanced, defeating Dutch compatriot Jimmy van Schie 6-2.
Jonny Clayton produced a dominant display to annihilate a below-par Michael van Gerwen 6-1, sending the Welshman into the quarter-finals. MvG’s average of 80.79 marked another disappointing setback, despite some positive wins earlier in the day.
Despite posting the two highest averages of the round of 103.77 for Gerwyn Price and 103.37 for Chris Dobey, both Premier League stars were eliminated. Price was ousted by Ricardo Pietreczko 6-5, while Dobey was defeated by Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4, both of whom averaged just over the 100-mark themselves.
James Wade made an impressive comeback, recovering from 5-2 down to defeat Martin Schindler 6-5, denying the German any opportunity to throw a match dart.
Dominik Gruellich continued his best-ever run in a Players Championship event, securing a 6-4 win over Maik Kuivenhoven to reach the quarter-finals. Mickey Mansell also completed a thrilling comeback, edging past Challenge Tour call-up Andreas Harrysson 6-5 to join the quarter-final lineup.
Quarter-Finals: Clayton Whitewashes Wade as Gruellich Survives Scare
Danny Noppert produced a dominant 6-1 victory over Mickey Mansell to secure his place in the semi-finals, while Michael Smith also cruised past Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2. Pietreczko's performance dipped to an 89.30 average, a stark contrast to his earlier ton-plus average win over Price in the Last 16.
Elsewhere, Jonny Clayton was in devastating form, whitewashing 10-time PDC Major winner James Wade 6-0. Wade was limited to just two darts at double in the contest, both at the bullseye after big combination checkouts in an incredibly efficient display from the Welshman.
Dominik Gruellich delivered a remarkable result, surviving seven match darts to defeat Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 and reach the semi-finals. The young German, a new tour card holder this season, achieved a career milestone, making it past the last 32 of a Players Championship event for the first time in 2025.
Semi-Finals: Gruellich Stuns Smith & Clayton Fights Back
In the semi-final between Jonny Clayton and Danny Noppert, the Dutchman surged into a 3-1 lead after the first four legs, putting the Welshman on the back foot. However, Clayton found his rhythm, producing a sensational six-leg burst to win 7-3. During that run, Noppert was denied a dart at double in any of the six legs, a display of clinical finishing that secured Clayton's place in the final.
Dominik Gruellich, playing in his first-ever PDC senior semi-final, faced former World Champion Michael Smith after clinching his first Development Tour title just two weeks earlier. Gruellich made an explosive start, racing into a commanding 6-1 lead, leaving Smith stunned.
Despite a spirited comeback from Smith, who won three straight legs to reduce the deficit to 6-4, Gruellich sealed the victory with a magnificent 14-dart hold, completing a 7-4 win to reach the final.
Road to the Final:
Jonny Clayton and Dominik Gruellich took different routes to secure their spots in the Players Championship 14 final. Here’s how they got there:
Round | Jonny Clayton | Dominik Gruellich |
Last 128 | 6-1 vs George Killington | 6-5 vs Ryan Meikle |
Last 64 | 6-2 vs Oskar Lukasiak | 6-4 vs Alexander Merkx |
Last 32 | 6-2 vs Jeffrey de Graaf | 6-2 vs Daryl Gurney |
Last 16 | 6-1 vs Michael van Gerwen | 6-4 vs Maik Kuivenhoven |
Quarter-Finals | 6-0 vs James Wade | 6-5 vs Dirk van Duijvenbode |
Semi-Finals | 7-3 vs Danny Noppert | 7-4 vs Michael Smith |
🏆 The Final: Clayton Caps Off Magnificent PC14 Triumph
Dominik Gruellich made history by becoming just the fifth German to reach a Players Championship final. With 12 combined finals for Germans, only Max Hopp and Martin Schindler have previously secured a title on the Players Championship series, each with one victory.
The early stages of the final saw Gruellich remain competitive, trailing just 3-2 to Jonny Clayton after five legs, thanks to two solid holds. However, Clayton quickly stepped up his game, leaving Gruellich struggling to match his intensity.
The Welshman went on a stunning run, claiming the next five consecutive legs to seal an 8-2 victory in the final. Gruellich never got a chance to throw for a double during this dominant burst from Clayton, who finished with a superb 109.68 average in a ruthlessly efficient display.
🏅 Champion: Jonny Clayton
Tournament Average: 103.59
180s: 25
Prize Money: £15,000
Highlight Performance: 6-1 1st Round vs George Killington (111.16 average)
Talking Points & Highlights
🇩🇪 Gruellich Makes History: Dominik Gruellich became just the fifth German to reach a Players Championship final. The young German had recently claimed his first Development Tour title just two weeks ago, and this was another landmark moment in his career as a PDC tour card holder. Before this event, Gruellich had never made it past the Last 32 in a PDC senior event, making his run to the final even more remarkable.
🔥 Smith’s Perfect Leg: Ross Smith delivered a stunning 9-dart leg in his 6-3 win over Thibault Tricole in Round 2, finishing with a 99.07 average.
🏆 Clayton Wins 7th PC title: Jonny Clayton was simply brilliant in claiming his first title of the season and his 7th Players Championship title overall. The Welshman dropped just 11 legs across his 7 matches, with his throw broken only once. His dominance was undeniable, and his tournament average of 103.59 stands as the 6th highest tournament average by a PC winner in history. This victory lifted Clayton to number 5 in the world and earned him £15,000 in prize money.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Jonny Clayton’s Reaction:
“Today was a good day. I loved every second of it,” he said to PDC.tv.
Reflecting on the final, he gave credit to Dominik Gruellich, but acknowledged that luck was on his side: “Fair play to Dominik. He did brilliantly, but things went my way today, and hopefully it carries on going for the rest of the year.”
When asked about his form, Clayton expressed his desire to keep up his high level of play: “If I can find this form consistently, that would be brilliant. I’ll be dangerous then!”
“I just take every tournament as it comes. When it doesn’t go well, you have to take it on the chin, but I will always keep trying.”
📅 What’s Next?
Premier League Night 11: April 17th at Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam (Live on Sky Sports)
German Darts Grand Prix (ET4): April 19th-April 21st, Zenith, Munich (Live on PDC.tv)
Stay tuned to Darts Central for all the latest coverage!
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