Rock Conquers Menzies To Clinch PC10 Title
- Darts Central
- Apr 2
- 7 min read
Following Gerwyn Price's victory at Players Championship 9 on Monday, securing his second title of the season, attention now turned to the second half of the double-header at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester for Players Championship 10.
The 128-player field saw two changes from Monday's event, as Players Championship 4 winner Ryan Searle and tour-card holder William Borland opted not to participate. Their places were filled by Challenge Tour call-ups Kevin Burness and Adam Mould.
Early Rounds: Price and White Sent Packing as Whitewashes Steal the Show
Damon Heta and Gian van Veen produced standout performances in the opening round at Players Championship 10. Heta averaged 106.55 in a routine 6-2 win over Josh Richardson, while van Veen posted a 103.71 average to defeat Ted Evetts 6-3.
The opening round also featured four whitewash victories. Stephen Bunting dispatched Richard Veenstra, Cam Crabtree triumphed over Robert Grundy, Dimitri van Den Bergh breezed past a struggling José de Sousa, and Peter Wright bounced back from his first-round loss in PC9 with a 6-0 demolition of Jim Long, averaging 102.48.
There were some shock exits in the first round as well, with PC9 winner Gerwyn Price falling to young Irishman Dylan Slevin 6-4, and Price’s finalist from the previous day, Ian White, also eliminated by Willie O’Connor despite averaging 101.65. Other notable players who exited early included Jonny Clayton, Nathan Aspinall, Ross Smith, and Dave Chisnall.
Gabriel Clemens (106.48), Callan Rydz (106.13), and Connor Scutt (105.85) registered the top three averages in Round 2. All three produced excellent performances, advancing past Rob Owen, Bradley Brooks, and Jermaine Wattimena, respectively.
Earlier Players Championship winners Joe Cullen and Rob Cross both underperformed, exiting in the second round. Peter Wright and Dimitri van Den Bergh also fell, despite both having 6-0 whitewash victories in the opening round.
In Round 3, Gary Anderson put in another dominant performance, annihilating James Wade 6-1 with a 111.84 average. Wade won the opening leg in scrappy fashion in 23 darts, but Anderson hit back with six brilliant legs in (14, 11, 13, 10, 12, 12) darts.
Justin Hood continued his strong Pro Tour debut with a 6-3 victory over William O’Connor, averaging 106.49. Elsewhere, Raymond van Barneveld overcame a 107.69 average from Damon Heta, winning 6-2 to progress to the last 16.
Michael Smith, Connor Scutt, and Stephen Bunting all posted ton-plus averages, dispatching English compatriots Cam Crabtree, Chris Dobey, and Callan Rydz to move into the last 16. Meanwhile, Challenge Tour call-up Kevin Burness pulled off a dramatic comeback, saving two match darts to defeat Brendan Dolan 6-5, reeling off six consecutive legs after trailing 5-0 in a gripping all-Northern Irish clash.
Last 16: Bunting Shines, Schindler Stuns in Last-Leg Drama
Josh Rock and Raymond van Barneveld breezed into the quarter-finals with dominant 6-1 wins over Ricardo Pietreczko and Kevin Burness, respectively. Luke Littler comfortably defeated Justin Hood 6-2, while Cameron Menzies dispatched Kevin Doets 6-3 with ease.
The standout performance of the round came from Stephen Bunting, who averaged 111.72 to see off reigning World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker 6-3. Scott Williams faced a tense battle, sealing his spot in the quarter-finals with a 6-5 win over Matthew Dennant in a last-leg decider.
Michael Smith surged to a 5-1 lead over Connor Scutt, but saw his opponent claw back to 5-4. The former World Champion held his nerve, clinching victory 6-4 with a 14-darter on throw.
The final quarter-final spot went to German No. 1 Martin Schindler, who edged past Gary Anderson 6-5 with an impressive 108.25 average. Despite Anderson leading 5-4 and missing several match darts, Schindler kept his composure to claim the win.
Quarter-Finals: Rock Dominates, Littler’s Doubling Woes
The quarter-finals at PC10 saw an impressive field, including former World Champions Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld, reigning World Champion Luke Littler, and previous Players Championship winners Menzies, Scott Williams, Rock, Bunting, and Schindler.
Michael Smith was ruthless in his 6-1 win over Stephen Bunting, using clinical finishing to seal a spot in the semi-finals. Josh Rock produced his best performance of the day, averaging 110.34 in a dominant 6-1 victory over Martin Schindler.
Cameron Menzies secured his semi-final berth with a 6-4 win over Raymond van Barneveld in a tightly contested match. RvB missed two darts at double to force a last-leg decider, and Menzies took full advantage, winning on Double 5.
The biggest surprise came when Scott Williams defeated Luke Littler 6-4. Littler struggled with his doubling, missing darts at double in five of the six legs Williams won. Despite an underwhelming 86.90 average, Williams capitalised on all of Littler’s mistakes, including a bust on 25 in the final leg missing two single numbers, to seal the victory.
Semi-Finals: Tight Contests See Menzies and Rock Emerge
The semi-final between Cameron Menzies and Michael Smith was a thrilling battle. Smith raced into a 3-0 lead, but Menzies responded with five straight legs to go 5-3 ahead. The next three legs were shared, with both players missing opportunities on each other’s throw. Leading 6-5, Menzies kept his cool, finishing with a 14-darter to seal a 7-5 win.
In the second semi-final, Josh Rock faced Scott Williams in a similarly tense match. Williams led 3-2, but Rock surged ahead to 4-3. Williams then won two legs to go 5-4 up, looking in control. However, Rock stepped up, winning three consecutive legs to take the match 7-5. His streak included a brilliant 143 checkout to level the match at 5-5, followed by legs in 13 and 17 darts to close out the victory.
Road to the Final:
Josh Rock and Cameron Menzies both navigated their way through a high-quality field to reach the Players Championship 10 final. Here’s how they got there:
Round | Josh Rock | Cameron Menzies |
Last 128 | 6-3 vs Nathan Rafferty | 6-5 vs Alan Soutar |
Last 64 | 6-2 vs Dom Taylor | 6-4 vs Darren Beveridge |
Last 32 | 6-4 vs Stefan Bellmont | 6-5 vs Gabriel Clemens |
Last 16 | 6-1 vs Ricardo Pietreczko | 6-3 vs Kevin Doets |
Quarter-Finals | 6-1 vs Martin Schindler | 6-4 vs Raymond van Barneveld |
Semi-Finals | 7-5 vs Scott Williams | 7-5 vs Michael Smith |
🏆 The Final: Rock Seals Victory at PC10
Following strong performances at Players Championship 9, where Josh Rock reached the Quarter-Finals and Cameron Menzies made the Semi-Finals, the pair both progressed to the final of PC10. Menzies had already reached a final this season at PC4, but lost out to Ryan Searle.
The match started closely, with Menzies leading 3-2 after five legs, with all legs going with throw. Rock levelled at 3-3 with a 13-darter, but Menzies missed two darts to hold for a 4-3 lead, allowing Rock to break and take the advantage. Menzies had another chance to break back but missed three darts at double, and Rock punished him, going 5-3 up.
In the ninth leg, Menzies left 40 after 12 darts on throw, but Rock responded with a brilliant 138 checkout to take a 6-3 lead and earn two breaks of throw. Menzies fought back with a stunning 170 checkout, reducing the gap to 6-4, but Rock broke again with a 13-darter and sealed the victory with a 16-darter on Double 16, winning 8-4.
Josh Rock claimed his first Players Championship title of the season, propelling him up three spots to 13th in the world rankings. This victory marked his fifth PDC title, following his three Players Championship titles and one European Tour win.
Champion: Josh Rock
Tournament Average: 98.53
180s: 28
Prize Money: £15,000
Highlight Performance: 6-1 Quarter-Final vs Martin Schindler (110.34 average)
For Cameron Menzies, reaching his fourth Pro Tour final since August was another step forward. With one Players Championship title to his name (PC29 in October), Menzies will aim to build on his strong Pro Tour form and translate it to the big TV stages, with the goal of breaking into the Top 32 in the world rankings.
Talking Points & Highlights
🎯 PC9 Finalists Bow Out Early: Both Gerwyn Price, the winner of PC9, and his final opponent Ian White were eliminated in the first round of PC10, with Price falling to Irishman Dylan Slevin and White losing to William O'Connor.
🔥 Whitewash Galore Early On: A total of six 6-0 whitewashes occurred in the opening rounds of PC10, with Peter Wright, Dimitri van den Bergh, Cam Crabtree, Stephen Bunting, Raymond van Barneveld, and Damon Heta all securing dominant victories.
🏴 Menzies' Final Run: Cameron Menzies made his second final of the season and the fourth of his career, all since August. The Scottish player has proven his strong Pro Tour form and will now look to carry that momentum onto the big TV stages, with an eye on breaking into the Top 32.
🏆 Rock Claims 5th PDC Title: Josh Rock claimed his fifth PDC title with victory at Players Championship 10. The young Northern Irishman, who has had a strong start to the season, added his fourth Players Championship title to his impressive resume, which also includes a European Tour win at the 2024 Dutch Darts Championship.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Josh Rock’s Reaction:
After his victory, Josh Rock spoke to PDC.tv and was in high spirits, acknowledging the key moments that helped him secure the win. “I hit important checkouts at the right times today,” he said.
Looking back on his recent performances, Rock added, “It was meant to be my day. At the UK Open I had a fantastic run, and a quarter-final run yesterday [at Players Championship 9].”
Although he celebrated his success, Rock remains focused on further proving himself. “It’s my fifth title in the PDC, but obviously I still want to prove it in the majors.”
📅 What’s Next?
Stay tuned to Darts Central for all the latest coverage!
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