Anderson faced off against 'The Needle' and came from 4-1 down to reel off five consecutive legs to claim a 6-4 victory and move through to the second round as he continues to produce despite not being at his best.
James Wade reached the final at the Grand Slam of Darts but he couldn't replicate that kind of form against Niels Zonneveld with the Dutchman dumping out 'The Machine'.
Zonneveld who has shown good form at times this year took out 122 on the bull to claim a 6-3 victory in the end.
While over on Stage Two, Ross Smith breezed past 'The Hurricane' Kim Huybrechts in a 6-1 win averaging 96.3 with 55% on the doubles and a high checkout of 125 as 'Smudger' continued his good form.
As did Damon Heta who saw off Maik Kuivenhoven in a 6-1 victory with a 97.5 average and 66% on the doubles.
But for Jermaine Wattimena, he produced one of the displays of the tournament so far in defeating Steve Lennon in a 6-1 win with a 103.5 average with 60% on the doubles and a high checkout of 140.
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Lennon despite the margin of defeat averaged 102 during the tie as he fell to the impressive Dutchman.
Schedule 2020 Players Championship Finals
Friday November 27
First Round
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
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Main Stage
Nathan Aspinall (92.15) 6-5 (91.82) Scott Waites
Gary Anderson (89.87) 6-4 (90.59) Keegan Brown
James Wade (93.43) 3-6 (94.41) Niels Zonneveld
Peter Wright v Ryan Meikle
Michael van Gerwen v Darius Labanauskas
Gerwyn Price v John Henderson
Jose De Sousa v Mike De Decker
Stage Two
Vincent van der Voort (88.73) 6-2 (87.12) Derk Telnekes
Ricky Evans (87.15) 2-6 (98.9)Jamie Hughes
Ross Smith (96.29) 6-1 (93.15) Kim Huybrechts
Damon Heta (97.53) 6-1 (83.01) Maik Kuivenhoven
Jermaine Wattimena (103.53) 6-1 (102.16) Steve Lennon
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Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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WHAT A WAY TO WIN IT!
In one of the biggest wins of his career, Niels Zonneveld dumps James Wade out of the Players Championship Finals with a 6-3 victory!
📺 Up next 👉 Peter Wright v Ryan Meikle