Schindler Clinches Maiden PC Title as De Graaf Falls Short in Hildesheim
- Darts Central
- Mar 19
- 7 min read
After Gary Anderson’s triumph at Players Championship 7 on Monday—securing his sensational 30th PC title—attention shifted to the second half of the double-header at Halle 39, Hildesheim, for Players Championship 8.
The 128-player field saw just one change from the previous day, as Michael van Gerwen withdrew following his disappointing first-round exit at PC7. His spot was filled by former Tour Card holder Adam Gawlas. With a £15,000 top prize on the line, many players eyed the opportunity to claim their first Pro Tour title.
Early Rounds: Wenig’s Nine, Anderson Falls, Ex-World Champions Struggle
The day began with yet another nine-darter, as Lukas Wenig achieved perfection in his opening-round clash against Dom Taylor. However, despite his brilliance, Wenig fell short in a 6-4 defeat, with Taylor averaging over 100 himself. This marked the fourth nine-darter in just two days, following three perfect legs at Players Championship 7.
Several players posted ton-plus averages in round one, including Robert Grundy (103.79), Jeffrey de Graaf (103.04), and Luke Woodhouse (102.46), who defeated Martin Lukeman, Andy Baetens, and Adam Hunt, respectively.
There were high-profile early exits, with former World Champions Peter Wright and Michael Smith both crashing out in round one—Wright losing to Sebastian Bialecki and Smith falling to Niko Springer. Players Championship 5 winner Joe Cullen also suffered a first-round defeat, losing 6-3 to Darren Beveridge in a below-par display.
Meanwhile, two-time major champion Dimitri Van den Bergh endured another nightmare on the floor, suffering his fifth consecutive first-round exit with a dismal 78 average. The Belgian has regularly dipped below the 85 mark in these events and, like today, has even dropped under 80 on multiple occasions.
Round two saw further big-name casualties, as Gian van Veen and Gary Anderson—both Players Championship winners already this season—were edged out in close battles by Patrick Geeraets and Greg Ritchie, respectively.
Dave Chisnall, a regular force on the Pro Tour, also fell at this stage, losing 6-2 to Dylan Slevin. The standout tie of the round saw Danny Noppert overcome Ricky Evans 6-4 in a high-quality contest, where Noppert averaged 103.79 to defy Evans’ impressive 105.05.
The last 32 produced surprisingly few high averages, with just one player surpassing the 100 mark—Gabriel Clemens, who averaged 108.46 but still lost 6-3 to Ryan Searle. Despite the statistical gap, Searle’s superior finishing and ability to hold throw proved decisive.
Several former Pro Tour winners bowed out at this stage, including Noppert, Ross Smith, Cameron Menzies, Damon Heta, and Josh Rock.
Elsewhere, Dylan Slevin edged an all-Irish clash against Willie O’Connor to reach the last 16, while Nick Kenny continued his impressive Pro Tour form, defeating Kai Gotthardt 6-5. Kenny, who enjoyed a strong run at the 2025 World Championship, has now reached the last 16 in four of the first eight Players Championship events, underlining his consistency this season.
Last 16: Taylor Continues to Impress as Doets Does It Again
For the second consecutive day, the last 16 featured a fresh and diverse lineup, highlighting the wide-open nature of this Players Championship double-header.
Several players won their board for the first time in a 2025 Players Championship event, including Dylan Slevin, Jeffrey de Graaf, Ian White, Mario Vandenbogaerde, Mensur Suljović, Ted Evetts, Niels Zonneveld, Patrick Geeraets, and Greg Ritchie.
Dom Taylor continued his excellent form, producing a 102.15 average in a commanding 6-2 victory over Mario Vandenbogaerde to secure another quarter-final appearance. ‘The Tower’ has been in fine form since returning from suspension and looks to be a growing force on the circuit this season.
Elsewhere, Slevin, De Graaf, Searle, Schindler, and Doets all secured routine 6-3 victories to reach the quarter-finals. Patrick Geeraets edged past Greg Ritchie 6-5 in a tense battle, while Niels Zonneveld triumphed in an all-Dutch affair, defeating Raymond van Barneveld in a deciding leg to book his place in the last eight.
Quarter-Finals: Three Last-Leg Deciders & the All-Dutch Clash
Illustrating the unpredictability of these two days in Hildesheim, just two players in the quarter-finals began the day ranked inside the world’s top 40.
Jeffrey de Graaf and Martin Schindler both battled through last-leg deciders, edging past Dylan Slevin and Kevin Doets, respectively, with clutch performances in the final leg. Neither faced a match dart, delivering strong finishes to secure semi-final spots. Despite suffering his fourth consecutive quarter-final defeat in Players Championship events, Doets’ consistency in reaching the latter stages remains a testament to his form.
Dom Taylor pulled off an impressive victory against Ryan Searle in another 6-5 thriller, overcoming a huge 106.27 average from ‘Heavy Metal.’ Taylor, who averaged 99.78 himself, sealed the win with a clinical 12-dart leg to knock out a Pro Tour title winner from earlier this season.
Meanwhile, the day’s surprise package, Patrick Geeraets, continued his remarkable run. He saw off Dutch compatriot Niels Zonneveld 6-4, denying the round a fourth last-leg decider by firing in a stunning 10-darter under pressure to reach his first-ever Players Championship semi-final.
Semi-Finals: De Graaf Stops ‘The Tower,’ Schindler Stages Dramatic Comeback
Jeffrey de Graaf ended Dom Taylor’s run with a dominant 7-4 victory, winning five of the last six legs. The Swede finished in style, producing three 14-darters, a 17-darter, and an 11-darter to seal his place in the final.
Martin Schindler survived a huge scare against Patrick Geeraets. The Dutchman led 6-3 and missed two match darts before Schindler mounted a dramatic fightback, reeling off four straight legs to snatch a 7-6 win and reach the final on home soil.
Road to the Final:
Jeffrey de Graaf and Martin Schindler both battled through a tough field, securing key victories over strong opponents on their way to the final:
Round | Martin Schindler | Jeffrey de Graaf |
Last 128 | 6-3 vs George Killington | 6-1 vs Andy Baetens |
Last 64 | 6-4 vs Danny Lauby | 6-3 vs Daryl Gurney |
Last 32 | 6-3 vs Robert Grundy | 6-2 vs Berry van Peer |
Last 16 | 6-3 vs Mensur Suljovic | 6-3 vs Ian White |
Quarter-Finals | 6-5 vs Kevin Doets | 6-5 vs Dylan Slevin |
Semi-Finals | 7-6 vs Patrick Geeraets | 7-4 vs Dom Taylor |
🏆 The Final: Schindler Cruises to PC8 Title
Jeffrey de Graaf became the third player from the Nordic & Baltic region to reach a Players Championship final, following in the footsteps of Madars Razma and Darius Labanauskas.
The final began with a nightmare for De Graaf however, as Schindler surged into a 5-0 lead. De Graaf only had four chances on the outer ring during these legs, with his first opportunities coming in the fourth and fifth legs. Schindler’s play wasn’t spectacular, but he didn’t need to be, with just one of his legs completed in under 15 darts.
De Graaf finally got on the board in the sixth leg, holding in 17 darts to make it 5-1. However, Schindler immediately regained control, holding in 15 darts and then breaking with a brilliant 126 checkout in 12 darts.
The match ended on a scrappy note, with Schindler securing the title with a 22-dart hold to win 8-1. While Schindler's 86.57 average was far from dazzling, it was more than enough to dominate the final. De Graaf, on the other hand, struggled with a disappointing 78.31 average.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, De Graaf can still be proud of his run to the final, especially considering this was only his fourth tournament back after missing the early season events due to the birth of his child.
For Schindler, this marked his first Players Championship title and his third PDC title after two European Tour wins last season. The tournament average for Schindler was 91.01 and he hit 17 180s on the day.
While his performance in the final may have left him underwhelmed, with his highest average being 100.57 in his second-round win over Danny Lauby, Schindler took full advantage of the opportunities in front of him. He didn’t face any top-40 players during his run but proved the old adage true: “You can only beat what’s in front of you.”
Talking Points & Highlights
🎯 Wenig's Perfect Leg: Lukas Wenig hit a nine-darter in his opening-round loss to Dom Taylor, a 6-4 defeat. This was the fourth nine-darter in the past two days.
🔥 Shock Runs: Six of the eight Quarter-Finalists were outside the top 40 in the rankings, highlighting the opportunities available for lower-ranked players amid a list of high-profile absentees this week.
🌍 De Graaf Makes History: Jeffrey de Graaf became the third player from the Nordic & Baltic region to reach a Players Championship final, joining Madars Razma and Darius Labanauskas in this exclusive club.
🏆 Schindler Claims Maiden PC Title: German Number 1 Martin Schindler clinched his first Players Championship title, marking his third PDC title overall after two European Tour wins last season, continuing his rise in the rankings.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Martin Schindler’s Reaction:
After clinching his first Players Championship title, Martin Schindler shared his thoughts with PDC.tv:
“If I am honest, I haven’t played great today but I have managed to win my games and that is the most important thing I guess.”
Reflecting on his career, Schindler added:
“I always thought the first title I would win would be a Players Championship one, but then I got the two European Tour titles. I don’t care how they have come but I am so happy right now."
When talking about his semi-final opponent, Schindler said:
“Fair play to Patrick but he wasn’t playing great, and I was just thinking I could be doing better.”
Looking back on his performance in the final, he concluded:
"I thought just give it a little bit more and maybe it will be enough. Like I said, I haven’t played great but I am very happy to now win my third title.”
📅 What’s Next?
Premier League Night 7—March 20th at the Utilita Arena, Cardiff (Live on Sky Sports)
European Darts Trophy (ET2)—March 21st–March 23rd, Lokhalle, Gottingen (Live on PDC.tv)
Stay tuned to Darts Central for all the latest coverage!
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