"In the final and the semi-final I had to wake up a few times!"; Michael van Gerwen follows Niedernhausen success with another Players Championship victory, rallying from 4-0 down to beat Peter Wright in Barnsley final
Thursday 7 April 2022 17:51, UK
Michael van Gerwen mounted a brilliant comeback to win his second Player's Championship in a week, defeating Peter Wright 8-4 in Saturday's final in Barnsley.
Van Gerwen won in Niedernhausen last Sunday and claimed another £12,000 title at Players Championship 10 with some resilient displays.
The Green Machine claimed four successive legs against Jose de Sousa in the semi-finals, before mounting a stunning comeback from 4-0 down against world No 1 Wright in the final.
It wasn't his only comeback of the evening, as he had also found himself 5-3 down to Ryan Meikle in round two before hitting back to win 6-5 after surviving two missed match darts. Brett Clayton, Madars Razma, Brendan Dolan and Adrian Lewis were also defeated on the way to Saturday's title.
"It was a tough day, I had to work really hard but eventually it paid out and when I got going I think I played some good darts," said Van Gerwen, who also won a European Tour event last month.
"I know Peter, and when he's throwing relaxed he's a phenomenal player and we all know that, but when you put him under pressure and you get your chances, you have to take them.
"That's what I did. I think I can do more but this was enough.
"In the final and the semi-final I had to wake up a few times! You want to make it a little bit easier for yourself but to win is the most important thing.
"You have to survive game by game - there are so many good darts players here on the tour and you have to beat them all. It's not easy, but I managed to do it today.
"This is a third title of this year - I've won more tournaments already than I did all last year altogether, so that's a good thing."
World champion Wright opened the final with a superb four-leg spree, denying Van Gerwen a dart at a double with legs all of 14 and below.
It was in leg five that Van Gerwen began his challenge on Wright, and won the next four - Wright, this time, denied a dart at a double as the Dutchman moved into a 5-4 lead.
The turning point came in leg 10 as Snakebite missed bull for a 170 finish, allowing Van Gerwen to complete a key 11-darter and open a two-leg lead.
He then finished 66 to move 7-4 up, closing out victory in the next leg with a 64 checkout.
Saturday April 2, Barnsley Metrodome
Jeff Smith 6-5 Darius Labanauskas
Damon Heta 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Peter Wright 6-4 Keegan Brown
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Gabriel Clemens
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Ross Smith
Jose de Sousa 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Luke Humphries 6-3 Joe Cullen
Quarter-Finals
Damon Heta 6-3 Jeff Smith
Peter Wright 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Adrian Lewis
Jose de Sousa 6-5 Luke Humphries
Semi-Finals
Peter Wright 7-3 Damon Heta
Michael van Gerwen 7-6 Jose de Sousa
Final
Michael van Gerwen 8-4 Peter Wright
