“It's been a struggle all day" – Jeffrey de Graaf leaves the best until last with surprising second Players Championship title

Jeffrey de Graaf has made his mark on the PDC circuit once again. The Dutch-Swedish darter captured his second Players Championship title in Milton Keynes by defeating Johnny Clayton in the final. Although the final victory looked convincing, De Graaf stressed afterwards that it had been anything but an easy day.

“It's been a struggle all day,” he reflected after winning the Players Championship title. “This is the first game where I felt like the scoring was really clicking, but every single game was a struggle. My finishing was brilliant, but that's about it.”

While many players grow into their best level during a tournament, De Graaf seemed to find it fully only in the final. Against former Premier League champion Johnny Clayton he produced an average well above a hundred and also threw eight maximums.

“This is the first game where I felt like the scoring was really clicking, but every single game was a struggle. My finishing was brilliant, but that's about it,” said De Graaf. “In the earlier matches it remained a struggle."

Even so, the Swedish Dutchman knew top level was required against a player of Clayton’s calibre. “Against Johnny it felt like I could throw with freedom and that my trebles finally started to land the way I wanted. But you know Jonny—he's brilliant, so you need to push your level.”

The route to the title, however, featured several precarious moments. Especially in his clash with Luke Woodhouse, De Graaf had to dig deep to stay alive. Woodhouse had chances to close out the match but failed to take them. “I thought it was finished,” De Graaf admitted. “When he missed three darts for the match, I think. But that's also the only game where I survived match darts."

That resilience typified his tournament. Despite not consistently playing his best game, he kept striking at the decisive moments. "Even though it's been a struggle all day long, I do feel like I did the right things at the right time. My timing was spot on and I'm happy with the win."

On his way to the title, De Graaf had to beat multiple players in excellent form. Besides Clayton and Woodhouse, he also faced Wessel Nijman, who in recent months has developed into one of the most impressive players on the floor.

Nijman had produced a phenomenal display in the previous round with a 104 average and a flawless record on his doubles. Against De Graaf, however, he was less effective. "Well, I didn't see what he did in the previous game," he laughed. "But I'm happy he didn't do it against me because he was struggling a bit against me as well. He didn't play anywhere near the level he showed in the game before."

Still, De Graaf did not want to downplay his opponent’s performance. "But I still needed to hit my doubles and win the game. It was a tough match. I think I hit a 170 checkout against him—that was an important one—and then another 170 setup. So yeah, it was a tough game."

That maximum checkout proved to be one of several highlights on a day when De Graaf stood out with his combination finishes.

While his scoring, by his own account, was inconsistent, De Graaf hardly faltered on the doubles. Multiple big checkouts and some spectacular combinations kept him on track throughout the tournament. “It felt like my finishing was strong all day,” he said. "Yeah, it felt like that. I did miss a few darts—you can't finish them all."

According to De Graaf, that was the key to success. "But my finishing was really good, especially at the important moments in every single game. It made a difference and I think that's what got me over the line today."

The victory in Milton Keynes is further confirmation that De Graaf is making strides at the highest level. Since he won his PDC Tour Card, he has had peaks and troughs, but he sees one key difference compared to previous years. "I feel like I've become more consistent, basically,” he explained. “This is my third year on the tour with a Tour Card, and I feel like during the first two years I was very inconsistent. I'd have the occasional good day, and that would kind of save my year.”

This year he’s experiencing a much steadier form curve. "But this year I feel like I've been much more consistent. On the other hand, this is already the 19th tournament of the year and I hadn't made a really deep run before now. This is the first time I've gone beyond the quarter-finals, and it's amazing that I managed to win it."

With the victory, De Graaf puts himself in an excellent position for the coming months. The title not only brings a significant financial boost, he also makes strong gains on various rankings. His focus is primarily on qualifying for all European Tour events. “I definitely want to play all the European Tour events. I think I'm in a good position for that right now.”

Thanks to his tournament win, the race to qualify for the World Matchplay is also not completely out of reach. “That race remains tricky, but with this win I’m obviously back in the mix. There are still a number of tournaments to play, so you never know what can happen.”

Even so, De Graaf remains focused mainly on his development as a player rather than specific rankings. "Yeah, that's true. But I just want to keep improving. As long as I'm improving, I feel like the results will come in the end."

The title in Milton Keynes feels like a deserved reward for a player who has steadily built his level in recent years. Where he used to rely on occasional peaks, De Graaf now seems to have become a much more complete and stable player.

That was also evident at Players Championship 19. Not because he was dominant from start to finish, but precisely because he managed to win on a day when not everything came easily. Opponents had chances, matches swung several times, but time and again De Graaf found a way to stay afloat.

With impressive checkouts, excellent timing and a strong final against Johnny Clayton, he ultimately wrote Players Championship 19 to his name. A victory that not only brings a trophy, but also proves that Jeffrey de Graaf is increasingly asserting himself as a player to be reckoned with on the PDC ProTour.