Ratajski Stuns Chisnall to Seal PC15 Crown
- Darts Central
- May 13
- 7 min read
The Players Championship season resumed today after a month-long break, with the first of a double-header taking place at Halle 39 in Hildesheim.
With World Matchplay qualification looming and several big names absent, Players Championship 15 presented a golden opportunity for lesser-known players to make their mark. A total of 16 tour card holders withdrew from the event, including seven of the eight Premier League stars, with only Michael van Gerwen choosing to compete. Other notable absentees included title winners this season, Josh Rock, Jonny Clayton, and Cameron Menzies.
As a result, all 16 vacant spots were filled by Challenge Tour call-ups, setting the stage for potential surprise runs and perhaps even a shock winner.
Early Rounds: Woody & Chizzy Hit Perfection, MvG Departs
Round 1 saw James Wade post the highest average of the opening round in a high-quality clash against Ryan Meikle. Wade prevailed 6-4, averaging 108.62 to Meikle’s 105.91 in a brilliant battle of the left-handers.
Dutch duo Gian van Veen (107.41) and Danny Noppert (106.72) also impressed with big ton-plus averages in comfortable wins over Northern Irish pair Nathan Rafferty and Kevin Burness, respectively.
Elsewhere, Damon Heta and Wessel Nijman crashed out at the first hurdle to Challenge Tour call-ups Jamai van den Herik and Ted Evetts. Meanwhile, reigning European Champion Ritchie Edhouse’s struggles continued, averaging just 80.43 in a first-round loss to Carl Sneyd.
The only Premier League star in action, Michael van Gerwen, suffered his sixth first-round exit in nine Players Championship events this season. He lost 6-5 to PC14 finalist Dominik Gruellich in a result that further highlights his ongoing pro tour struggles.
In Round 2, perfection was achieved by two players. Dave Chisnall hit a brilliant nine-darter as part of a dominant display, averaging 108.16 in a 6-1 demolition of Darius Labanauskas. Luke Woodhouse also hit a perfect leg, but was edged out 6-4 by a solid performance from Dutchman Martijn Dragt.
Strong ton-plus averages followed from Mike De Decker (104.31), Michael Smith (104.01), Gary Anderson (102.15), Niels Zonneveld (101.88), and Justin Hood (101.10), who all progressed into the last 32 in style.
However, two seeded players were sent packing in Round 2, Ryan Searle and James Wade fell to Jeffrey de Graaf and Keane Barry, respectively.
Round 3 delivered more fireworks. Gary Anderson continued his red-hot form, averaging 107.17 in a 6-2 rout of Martin Lukeman, while Chisnall stayed sharp with a 101.91 average in a 6-1 hammering of William Borland.
Dom Taylor, after four straight first-round defeats in recent Players Championship events, produced a gutsy 6–5 win over the in-form Martin Schindler to reach the last 16.
There were also strong third-round wins for Mike De Decker, Callan Rydz, and Ross Smith, all moving into the last 16 and eyeing a first title of the season.
Last 16: The Polish Eagle Whitewash & Anderson Halted
Dom Taylor and Mike De Decker both reached their third Players Championship quarter-final of the season with commanding 6-1 victories over Jermaine Wattimena and Jeffrey de Graaf, respectively.
Danny Noppert edged out Callan Rydz 6-5 in a tense affair, fending off a late comeback to secure his second quarter-final appearance of the season. Ross Smith continued his strong ProTour form with a comfortable 6–2 win against Ryan Joyce.
Despite a below-par display and an average of just 84.28, Gian van Veen still managed to whitewash fellow Dutchman Niels Zonneveld. Zonneveld endured a nightmare on the doubles and averaged only 80.32 in a one-sided affair.
Krzysztof Ratajski was dominant in his clash with Challenge Tour call-up Carl Sneyd. The Polish Eagle averaged 102.48 and dished out a 6-0 whitewash, allowing Sneyd just one dart at a double.
Scott Williams impressed in ending the run of the in-form Gary Anderson. Williams averaged 100.04 in a solid 6-4 win to halt the Scot's charge.
Dave Chisnall rounded off the quarter-final lineup with another strong showing, averaging 100.14 in a convincing 6-2 win over Joe Cullen, just his second Players Championship quarter-final appearance of the year.
Quarter-Finals: Noppert Thrashes Van Veen as Ratajski Survives Scare
Scott Williams continued his strong form with another ton-plus average, hitting 101.65 in a 6-3 win over Dom Taylor to book his spot in the semi-finals.
Dave Chisnall maintained his impressive run, producing a 104.28 average to defeat Mike De Decker 6-2 comfortably, yet another clinical display from Chizzy on a standout day.
Danny Noppert froze out fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen in dominant fashion, storming to a 6-1 victory with a superb 103.57 average in their all-Dutch last-eight clash.
The closest quarter-final came between Krzysztof Ratajski and Ross Smith. In a topsy-turvy encounter that saw both players miss a match dart, it was Ratajski who held his nerve, pinning double 5 in the deciding leg to edge through 6-5.
Semi-Finals: Ratajski Sails Through & Chisnall Survives Match Darts
Krzysztof Ratajski powered into a 5-1 lead against Scott Williams and, despite a late rally and a couple of errors, including going for the wrong double on his first match dart, the Polish Eagle had more than enough to close it out 7–4 and reach the final. Remarkably, Ratajski's run came after six consecutive first-round exits in Players Championship events.
The second semi-final was a thriller. Danny Noppert started the stronger, racing into a 3-1 lead, but Chisnall responded superbly, winning five of the next six legs to move 6-4 ahead. Noppert dug deep, producing brilliant 11 and 14-dart legs to force a decider at 6-6. But in the final leg, Noppert missed two match darts at double 8, allowing Chisnall to step in and finish 81 in two darts to clinch a dramatic 7-6 win.
Road to the Final:
Krzysztof Ratajski and Dave Chisnall both battled through a string of challenging opponents and produced some standout performances to book their spots in the Players Championship 15 final. Here’s how they both got there:
Round | Krzysztof Ratajski | Dave Chisnall |
Last 128 | 6-3 vs Dylan Slevin | 6-3 vs Berry van Peer |
Last 64 | 6-2 vs Jim Long | 6-1 vs Darius Labanauskas |
Last 32 | 6-5 vs Jamai van den Herik | 6-1 vs William Borland |
Last 16 | 6-0 vs Carl Sneyd | 6-2 vs Joe Cullen |
Quarter-Finals | 6-5 vs Ross Smith | 6-2 vs Mike De Decker |
Semi-Finals | 7-4 vs Scott Williams | 7-6 vs Danny Noppert |
🏆 The Final: Ratajski Cruises to PC15 Glory
Both players were appearing in their first Players Championship final of the season. For Krzysztof Ratajski, it was his first final since winning Players Championship 9 in April 2023, while Dave Chisnall was chasing a first title since triumphing at Players Championship 29 in September 2024.
It was the Polish Eagle who made the stronger start, racing into a 4–1 lead as Chisnall was left to rue missed chances, failing to convert at least one dart at a double in three of the four legs Ratajski claimed.
Chisnall came roaring back, producing a brilliant 10-dart break followed by a solid 15-dart hold to close the gap to 4-3. But Ratajski responded with a clinical 13-darter to re-establish his two-leg cushion at 5-3, only for Chisnall to immediately reply with a 14-dart hold for 5-4.
From there, the Polish No.1 found another gear. He rattled off the next three legs in ruthless fashion: 13-dart hold, 17-dart break, and 15-dart hold without missing a dart at a double. Chisnall was simply left watching as Ratajski surged to an 8-4 victory, averaging a superb 101.73 in the final. A huge roar followed as the emotions poured out, underlining just how much this title meant to the former BDO World Masters champion.
🏅 Champion: Krzysztof Ratajski
Tournament Average: 97.14
180s: 13
Prize Money: £15,000
Highlight Performance: 6-0 Last 16 vs Carl Sneyd (102.48 average)
Talking Points & Highlights
🇳🇱 MvG’s Pro Tour Woes Continue: Michael van Gerwen’s struggles on the Players Championship circuit continued as he suffered a 6-5 defeat to Dominik Gruellich in Round 1. It marked his sixth first-round exit in nine Players Championship events entered this season, a damning statistic for the World No.3 and a reflection of his inconsistent form.
🔥 Woody & Chizzy Hit Perfection: Luke Woodhouse fired in the fourth nine-darter of his PDC career in Round 2, though it came in a 6-4 defeat to Martijn Dragt. Dave Chisnall, meanwhile, produced his 15th career nine-darter in a scintillating 6-1 win over Darius Labanauskas, averaging 108.16 in the process, one of the performances of the day.
🏆 Ratajski Claims 11th PDC Title: Players Championship 15 marked Krzysztof Ratajski’s 11th PDC title, adding to his tally of now eight Players Championship titles, one UK Open Qualifier, and two European Tour wins, his last being the German Darts Open in September 2023. The victory was a significant one for Ratajski, propelling him back into the world’s top 32 and putting him in a provisional qualification spot for the World Matchplay.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Krzysztof Ratajski Reaction:
After his victory, Ratajski was understandably emotional and spoke to PDC.tv:
“I really enjoyed that. I’m so happy.”
He acknowledged the importance of the win in terms of his World Matchplay aspirations:
“In the back of my head, I knew I had a chance to get to the World Matchplay, and this is a very big first step towards that!”
Reflecting on a challenging period, he added:
“The last few years have been a difficult time for me. I’ve had health problems and other problems, and my results have not been good.”
Despite setbacks during the tournament, Ratajski was delighted to get over the line:
“I was 3-0 down in my first match, I was 4-1 down in the third round so it was a difficult tournament for me, but I’m very happy I did it.”
📅 What’s Next?
Players Championship 16
May 13th at Halle 39, Hildesheim (Live on PDC.tv)
Premier League Night 15
May 15th, P&J Live, Aberdeen (Live on Sky Sports)
Stay tuned to Darts Central for all the latest coverage!
留言