Menzies Masters Wright in All-Scottish Showdown to Seal PC11 Crown in Leicester
- Darts Central
- Apr 8
- 6 min read
Players Championship action resumed on Tuesday with the first of a double-header at Leicester's Mattioli Arena, marking the Pro Tour's third visit to the venue in 2025.
Three Premier League stars in Nathan Aspinall, Stephen Bunting, and Rob Cross opted out of the event, along with six other Tour Card holders: Mike De Decker, Michele Turetta, Jules van Dongen, Tim Wolters, Martin Schindler, and Dennie Olde Kalter.
Their absences opened the door for nine Challenge Tour players to enter the draw: Darius Labanauskas, Stefan Bellmont, Ted Evetts, Carl Sneyd, Scott Campbell, Kevin Burness, Adam Mould, Tommy Lishman, and Tom Sykes.
Early Rounds: Premier League Stars Stunned, Brooks Posts Huge Average
Players Championship 11 began with a shock as three Premier League stars crashed out in the opening round. Gerwyn Price, Luke Littler, and Michael van Gerwen all suffered surprise defeats, losing to Rob Owen, Dylan Slevin, and Maik Kuivenhoven, respectively.
They were not the only big names to fall early. Jonny Clayton, Joe Cullen, Michael Smith, and Gian van Veen also exited at the first hurdle.
There were standout performances in Round 1. Callan Rydz averaged 103.66 in a 6-0 whitewash of Owen Bates. Gary Anderson posted 105.94 in a 6-3 win over Kevin Burness, while Dirk van Duijvenbode recorded 106.36 to beat Kim Huybrechts 6-3.
However, the performance of the round came from Bradley Brooks, who delivered a sensational 114.38 average in a 6-2 win over Greg Ritchie. Despite the defeat, Ritchie also impressed with a 101.61 average.
In Round 2, Willie O’Connor produced the highest average of the round, a 105.28 in a dominant 6-1 win against Andrew Gilding. The Magpie has lifted his win percentage from 54% in 2024 to 70% this season, underlining his upturn in form this year thus far.
Five other players averaged over 100 to reach the last 32: Gary Anderson (101.72), Damon Heta (100.19), Josh Rock (100.24), Madars Razma (102.97), and Chris Dobey (103.41).
World number one Luke Humphries was edged out in a narrow 6-5 loss to world number 92 Brett Claydon. Humphries averaged 102.72 but was denied by a superb 12-dart deciding leg, sealed with a 134 checkout from Claydon.
Round 3 featured more high-quality displays. Cameron Menzies (101.00), Luke Woodhouse (101.18), Josh Rock (101.70), and Peter Wright (101.12) all came through tight contests with ton-plus averages.
Dutch youngsters Wessel Nijman and Niels Zonneveld progressed with wins over Alan Soutar and Dirk van Duijvenbode. Previous Players Championship winners Chris Dobey and Damon Heta also advanced, despite more modest performances.
Gary Anderson continued his impressive day, firing a 106.25 average in a 6-4 win over James Wade. PC7 runner-up Adam Lipscombe joined him in the last 16 after a scrappy 6-4 win over Ryan Meikle, in which both players averaged in the high 80s.
Last 16: Rock Stuns with Mind-Blowing Average as Scottish Trio March On
Scottish trio Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, and Cameron Menzies all booked their places in the quarter-finals with solid wins. Anderson saw off Sebastian Bialecki, Wright defeated Chris Dobey, and Menzies overcame Max Hopp to continue his strong run.
World number 75 Matthew Dennant extended his surprise campaign with a 6-3 victory over Rob Owen. Niels Zonneveld also impressed, reaching his third quarter-final in the last four Players Championship events with a 6-2 win against the in-form Willie O’Connor.
Adam Lipscombe sealed his place in the last eight by defeating Dutch youngster Wessel Nijman 6-4, while Damon Heta edged out Luke Woodhouse by the same scoreline to gain a small measure of revenge for his World Championship exit.
But the standout moment came from Josh Rock. The former World Youth Champion produced a sensational 119.04 average in a 6-2 win over European Champion Ritchie Edhouse. Remarkably, it wasn’t even Rock’s career-best, having posted a 121.88 against Brendan Dolan in a 2022 Pro Tour match.
Quarter-Finals: Scots Surge as Zonneveld Dismantles PC7 Finalist
Five of the eight quarter-finalists had already won senior PDC titles, underlining the quality left in the field. The remaining three were aiming to make their breakthrough today.
Niels Zonneveld cruised into just his second career semi-final on the Pro Tour with a dominant 6-1 win over PC7 finalist Adam Lipscombe. Cameron Menzies also maintained his impressive form, easing past Matthew Dennant 6-2 in another one-sided contest.
Peter Wright denied Josh Rock a shot at back-to-back Players Championship titles, edging a tense decider 6-5. Both men averaged just under 100 in a high-quality clash.
Gary Anderson completed an all-Scottish trio in the final four with a sublime 6-2 victory over Damon Heta. The Flying Scotsman averaged 109.93 to Heta’s 105.12, just outscoring and out-finishing the Australian in another top-class display.
Semi-Finals: Menzies Cruises as Wright Edges Scottish Classic
Cameron Menzies booked his place in the final with a comfortable 7-2 win over Niels Zonneveld, who struggled to find any rhythm in his second senior PDC semi-final. Zonneveld averaged just 82.65, and while Menzies wasn’t at his best with an 87.15 average, he was never seriously threatened.
The second semi-final was a far higher-quality affair as two Scottish legends, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright, faced off. Anderson stormed into a 3-0 lead, only for Wright to hit back and level at 3-3.
After Anderson edged ahead at 4-3, Wright produced a burst of three straight legs to move 6-4 up. Anderson replied with a superb 10-darter, but Wright closed out the match with a composed 15-dart leg to seal a 7-5 victory. Wright averaged 105.88 to Anderson’s 103.92 in a thrilling contest between two of the game's greats.
Road to the Final:
Cameron Menzies and Peter Wright both navigated a competitive field of 128 players to reach the final. Here’s how they got there:
Round | Cameron Menzies | Peter Wright |
Last 128 | 6-3 vs Viktor Tingstrom | 6-4 vs James Hurrell |
Last 64 | 6-3 vs Connor Scutt | 6-2 vs Callan Rydz |
Last 32 | 6-4 vs Steve Lennon | 6-5 vs Danny Noppert |
Last 16 | 6-4 vs Max Hopp | 6-4 vs Chris Dobey |
Quarter-Finals | 6-2 vs Matthew Dennant | 6-5 vs Josh Rock |
Semi-Finals | 7-2 vs Niels Zonneveld | 7-5 vs Gary Anderson |
🏆 The Final: Menzies Dominates Fellow Scot to Claim PC11
Cameron Menzies continued his remarkable 2025 Pro Tour form, reaching his third final of the season, while Peter Wright made his first Players Championship final appearance since October 2022, where he lost to Rob Cross.
Wright got off to a strong start, opening with a 13-dart break to lead 1-0. However, Menzies quickly found his rhythm and surged to a commanding 5-1 lead, with legs of 11, 12, 14, and 18 darts. Wright responded with a 12-dart break and a 14-dart hold, pulling back to 5-3, but Menzies wasn’t fazed. He sealed the victory with a brilliant burst of three consecutive 13-dart legs, winning 8-5.
Menzies’ scoring was exceptional in those key moments, and despite a determined performance from Wright, Menzies clinched his second Players Championship title of his career.
Champion: Cameron Menzies
Tournament Average: 95.49
180s: 24
Prize Money: £15,000
Highlight Performance: 7-3 Final vs Peter Wright (107.25 average)
Peter Wright showed his resilience throughout the tournament, with impressive victories over tough opponents. His deep run proves that, with a focus on these events away from the Premier League, he can still push up the rankings again in the future.
Talking Points & Highlights
⭐ Premier League Stars Stunned: Premier League stars Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, and Michael van Gerwen were all shocked in the first round, suffering defeats to Dylan Slevin, Rob Owen, and Maik Kuivenhoven, respectively.
🔥 Rock on Fire: Josh Rock delivered an electrifying performance at the Mattioli Arena, posting a stunning 119.04 average in his Last 16 victory over European Champion Ritchie Edhouse. This was the highest average of the day and one of the best seen on the Pro Tour this year.
🏴 Wright’s Final Run: Peter Wright enjoyed an outstanding run to the final at Players Championship 11. The two-time World Champion overcame a series of top players, including Premier League player Chris Dobey, PC10 winner Josh Rock, and World Cup partner Gary Anderson. Wright’s performance marked his first Players Championship final appearance since October 2022, ending a long drought in these events.
🏆 Third Time Lucky for Menzies: After falling short in both the PC4 and PC10 finals, Cameron Menzies finally broke through to claim his second Players Championship title. Both of his titles were won in Leicester, a venue that’s quickly becoming a favourite hunting ground for the Scotsman.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Cameron Menzies’ Reaction:
After claiming his second Players Championship title, Cameron Menzies reflected on the significance of his win, especially after securing his first title in 2024. "This means a lot to me because it proves the title I won last year wasn't by luck," said Menzies to PDC.tv.
He continued, expressing confidence in his form despite the pressure of trying to repeat his success: "I know how well I've been playing and I wouldn't have been disheartened if I hadn't won another title because my two previous years on tour have been nowhere near this standard."
Looking ahead, Menzies shared his plans to make darts his full-time career. "I'm leaving my job soon to take up darts full-time; I'm not as good as I'd like to be yet, but I'm heading in the right direction."
📅 What’s Next?
Players Championship 12: April 9th, Mattioli Arena, Leicester (Live on PDC.tv)
Premier League Night 10: April 10th at AO Arena, Manchester (Live on Sky Sports)
Stay tuned to Darts Central for all the latest coverage!
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