Players Championship 31: Charlie Manby wins first ever PDC Ranking title and confirm Grand Slam qualification

Charlie Manby stormed to his maiden PDC ranking title with a resounding 8-2 win over Maik Kuivenhoven in Wednesday's Players Championship 31.

Manby celebrated a milestone victory in the Netherlands, producing a series of dominant displays to also confirm his qualification for next month's Grand Slam of Darts.

The 21-year-old had not progressed beyond the quarter-finals of a PDC ranking event prior to Wednesday, but he reaffirmed his potential to pocket the £15,000 top prize on Dutch soil.

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"It's absolutely amazing. I'm literally lost for words here," Manby said.

"There are so many good players here, so it's just crazy that I've actually done it.

"I knew I was definitely capable of doing what I did today and winning a title, but I'm over the moon.

"When I was leading against Beau [Greaves] in the semis, that's when I had a bit of nerves, especially when she started coming back!

"I was gutted to lose out in the World Youth Championship semi-finals for the Grand Slam, but I've managed to actually qualify through this which is 10 times better, so it's great."

Manby opened his campaign in style, averaging 104 in his 6-1 demolition of the Czech Republic's Karel Sedlacek, before landing back-to-back 13-darters to complete a comeback win over Dennie Olde Kalter.

The Huddersfield youngster then followed up a 6-4 success against Adam Leek with an inspired 112.16 average against Dominik Gruellich, winning each of his last four legs in 12 darts to race into the last eight.

Manby later reeled off six consecutive legs from 3-0 adrift to sink Alan Soutar, although he was forced to survive a fightback himself from Greaves to prevail 7-5 in a compelling semi-final.

This set up a winner-takes-all clash against Kuivenhoven, and Manby punished a tentative start from the Dutchman to race into a seemingly unassailable five-leg lead.

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Greaves also performed magnificently at Maassport Den Bosch to climb up to seventh spot on the Players Championship rankings.

The Doncaster darter produced ton-topping averages in statement wins against Dutch duo Niels Zonneveld and Kevin Doets, launching an astonishing fightback from 5-2 down against the latter.

Earlier in the day, Spanish No 1 Cristo Reyes found a nine-darter during his opening-round drubbing of Cor Dekker - his second perfect leg in the space of three Players Championship events.

Elsewhere in Den Bosch, Nathan Aspinall was among the high-profile round one casualties, as Jermaine Wattimena, Damon Heta and Joe Cullen also bowed out at the first hurdle.

2026 Players Championship 31

Wednesday October 28
Maassport Den Bosch
Last 16
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Tommy Morris
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-4 Martin Schindler
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 Rob Owen
Mike De Decker 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko
Kevin Doets 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Beau Greaves 6-5 Keane Barry
Charlie Manby 6-3 Dominik Gruellich
Alan Soutar 6-5 Kim Huybrechts

Quarter-Finals
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Jeffrey de Graaf
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-2 Mike De Decker
Beau Greaves 6-5 Kevin Doets
Charlie Manby 6-3 Alan Soutar

Semi-Finals
Maik Kuivenhoven 7-6 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Charlie Manby 7-5 Beau Greaves

Final
Charlie Manby 8-2 Maik Kuivenhoven

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