Damon Heta managed to win the eighteenth Players Championship tournament of the season on Wednesday. It was his tenth PDC title for the Australian dart player.
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The Australian's success comes just days after he reached the final of the New Zealand Darts Masters. 'The Heat' showed on Wednesday that jet lag is no odds for him. Many other players used that as a reason to skip this week or to go on holiday but not 'The Heat'.
Heta survived a deciding leg against Rowby-John Rodriguez (6-5) in the first round, but then recorded resounding victories over Keegan Brown (6-2), Niels Zonneveld (6-0), Callum Goffin (6-1) and Danny Noppert (6-1) for a spot in the semifinals. In that round, he did have to work hard, as Cameron Menzies (7-6) was defeated only after a final leg.
The Heat then won 8-3 over Ryan Searle in the final. In the final, Heta took an early lead with an 11-darter and a 13-darter to take a 3-0 lead. Searle then battled back to 3-3, but did not get a single arrow on the double after that. A 14-darter and a 13-darter gave Heta a 5-3 lead before he tossed out 140 to make it 6-3. The former World Cup champion then closed convincingly with an 11-darter and a 14-darter.
“I’m really stoked about today,” insisted Heta. “I look at my world ranking and my ProTour ranking, and I don’t want to slip. I don’t want to put pressure on myself in other tournaments.
“I’m going to play in everything while I’m here, because I’m not here forever and I’m trying to make a massive impact.
“You take what you can get in this environment, and so many players are producing some incredible darts at the moment.
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“I’m really pleased with the way I played today. This is a massive bonus for me, and I’m going to keep working hard and keep plugging away.”
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
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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DEVASTATING HETA WINS PC18!
Damon Heta averages 106 in beating Ryan Searle 8-3 to win Players Championship 18.
What a performance from The Heat 🔥
📺 bit.ly/PDCTVLive#PC18