History for Sweden as Jeffrey de Graaf makes it third time's the charm with maiden Players Championship title win over Stephen Bunting

Jeffrey de Graaf is the champion at Players Championship 24 shaking off Stephen Bunting who looked borderline unstoppable at the start but the Dutch-born Swede makes history as the first player from the nation to scoop a PDC title.

De Graaf won it 8-7 with a 102 average compared to 106 for Bunting. It was five 180's for the Swede as he hit 8/16 on the doubles with Bunting hitting eight in defeat in one he would think got away after such a great start. But after two final defeats previously, it's third time's the charm for De Graaf.

Bunting surged into a 2-0 lead sealing an early break against De Graaf but the Swede stood up to the barrage of a 101 average early on to hold for 2-1. But Bunting left 36 after nine darts again and hit a 10-darter to hold throw for 3-1. Bunting hit double five to go 4-1 up in the race to eight as he started to make it look very much routine with a 105 average.

Since April, he is averaging 100+ more often not and continuing to show why. He has become a different beast in recent years and continued to show that leaving 100 after 12 with De Graaf pressuring but continuing to be behind.

De Graaf got a look at 37 bizarrely and hit double one as he sighed. He looked at one dart at double 16 to make it 4-2. He broke to look to go one behind. He pinned 94 to make it 4-3 but Bunting still had the break. De Graaf missed 142 to break back. Bunting missed double 16 though for 102 as De Graaf returned for 4-4 to break back. De Graaf missed darts to hold but Bunting hit the wrong treble as he did all the hard work for 121. De Graaf mopped up double 16 to lead 5-4.

Bunting made it 5-5 and held throw. De Graaf looked 82 using treble 18, double 14 for 6-5. They were both showing signs of improvement to set up a barnstormer of a conclusion. Bunting missed 121 on double 18 for 7-6 to break and De Graaf went one away on double 16. Bunting pinned double 16 to send it all the way. Bunting hit 180 to leave a chance but De Graaf pinned double 20 to seal it and leave it not to chance.

Prior to that one of the leading highlights of the day came in the Last 32 when Beau Greaves and Luke Littler played in the PDC for the first time. They met when Littler was just 12 and Greaves was 15 in a youth final at the Isle of Man.

Greaves has since become a multiple time Women's World Champion and continues to show why a move to the main PDC Tour albeit on her terms and when the time is right is so appealing as they played out a classic tie. In the end Littler won 6-5 but Greaves hit a 102 average compared to Littler's 96 and both hit four 180's with exemplary respect and superb darts.

Greaves hasn't played on the ProTour despite receiving call ups from the Challenge Tour for most of the year but showed today why perhaps she belongs on it as the top male talent perhaps right now faces the top women's talent without any difference really. A match we could yet used to seeing.

Littler from there lost out to Rob Cross who threw some exemplary darts today and won 6-4 with a 102 average. But he then fell to Stephen Bunting despite averaging 101. Michael van Gerwen also threw a 107 average in the Last 16 showing a spark but he lost to Scott Williams. 'Shaggy' who went on to lose in the semi-finals was the epitome of you miss I hit as he produced a nonchalant demeanour to win 6-3. He then went on to beat DIrk van Duijvenbode to reach the semi-finals then losing to the former Dutchman turned Swede, Jeffrey de Graaf 7-1.

To reach that final, Bunting saw off Brett Claydon in the Last 16 before ending the run of Rob Cross then it was Ross Smith in a 7-2 win. 'The Bullet' showing he is the class of the field with a 106 average to set up the clash with De Graaf.