PDC Players Championships 12
Photo: PDC/Lawrence Lustig
Simon Whitlock won his first PDC title for
14 months as he defeated James Wade 6-3
to win the second of the weekend’s Players
Championships in Coventry on 15th June.
The Australian ace has lost in three finals since his
last tournament victory, at a UK Open Qualifier in
April 2013, but ended that run in style to claim the
£10,000 first prize.
Whitlock had begun the tournament in dominant
form, losing only five legs in total as he defeated
Matt Clark, Matt Padgett and Kevin Painter.
He then followed up a 6-4 win over Scotland’s Jamie
Bain with a brace of narrow 6-5 triumphs as he
overcame Ian White and Brendan Dolan to reach the
final, where he produced another top-class display.
Whitlock produced a pair of 13-darters as he took an
early 2-1 lead, with Wade’s 95 finish in the second
leg followed by a 13-dart finish of his own.
Whitlock then took out 154 to move 3-2 up before
breaking in a scrappy sixth leg on double one.
Wade hit back with a 14-dart finish, but Whitlock
restored his edge by finishing 128 for a 12-dart leg
before completing the win in 14 darts in the next.
The result denied Wade his first tournament win for
over two-and-a-half years, but continued his strong
2014 campaign with his best result so far this year as
he took home £5,000 for his run to the final.
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Stuart Kellett
Dave Chisnall 5-6 James Wade
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Ian White
Peter Wright 5-6 Brendan Dolan
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 4-6 James Wade
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Final
James Wade 3-6 Simon Whitlock