PDC Players Championship 25 Round-up | 20-year-old Henry Coates averages 105 to defeat Damon Heta and win maiden PDC ranking title

Henry Coates, remember the name. The 20-year-old does not even have a Tour Card, but averaged 104.88 in the final against an equally impressive Damon Heta 8-4 to win a first PDC Ranking title in Players Championship 25.

After missing three match darts in the semi-finals a few events ago, he was a man on a mission. Nothing fazed him throughout the day with some unbelievable performances enroute to win the title. He has also provisionally put himself in the qualifying positions for the PDC World Darts Championship and Players Championship Finals in a hugely triumphant day for the young man.

Heta played his part in the final, averaging 106.11 while pinning three ton+ checkouts. Even a 164, 130 and 106 outshot could not save him. From 4-4, Coates held his nerve and won the final four legs as he raced over the finishing line.

For Coates, this was a whole new setting. The youngster who has not even got a PDC Tour Card was brilliant throughout the day. A former semi-finalist, he has proven he is capable at this level. Filip Bereza and Karel Sedlacek were the first to come unstuck against the Englishman in 6-4 and 6-5 scorelines.

He defeated Mervyn King 6-5 before he upped the levels. A 104.59 average was good enough to see off Bradley Brooks. Christian Kist was whitewashed 6-0 with a 106.09 average before Jeffrey de Graaf was defeated 7-3. He reached a first final and was hunting for glory.

It was a first floor final in 2026 for Heta. In fact, it was a first time venturing past the fourth round in what has been a woeful year in scenery he normally relishes. He began the day with a 6-3 win over Dennie Olde Kalter before a 6-3 win over Ted Evetts and a 6-3 win against Richard Veenstra got him in a good flow.

Krzysztof Ratajski would pose a tougher threat but successfully navigated with a 6-4 scoreline. Kevin Doets, who averaged 108 three times, did not stand up to the challenge as ‘The Heat’ put in his best showing of a 105.05 average to sink him 6-2. The semi-finals were calling, and he managed to fend off Niko Springer 7-4 to reach a first PC final since PC 30 last year.

The start to the final was bonkers. Both players were locked in and playing the darts of their life. No nerves were shown by Coates who went out in 12 to hold. He was favourite to break before a magnificent 164 by Heta got him back level.

Coates was averaging 128 before a couple of missed doubles saw him go out in 15-darts. That was the worst leg in the opening stages. Heta produced a 10-darter after going seven into the nine. An 11-darter by Coates when Heta was stranded on single to double just about summed up this start.

Heta found a second ton+ checkout on double eight for a 130 checkout before two legs later taking out 106 for an eighth consecutive hold. He had yet to miss a double but had made no inroads against the throw.

That changed in the next leg in the first leg that exceeded five visits. Missed doubles by Coates allowed Heta a shot at 84, but double 11 was missed as his opponent cleaned up on double five with maturity and composure.

Coates continued to batter the treble 20 bed and stormed ahead on the Heta throw. He went inside on double eight but was allowed to return and eventually found double one after a few nervy darts.

Heta almost took out the 164 again, just missing the bull. Coates found luxury with an open double 10 bed and had won a third leg on the spin to move within one precious leg of a maiden PDC ranking title. In similar fashion to Luke Littler at the World Matchplay, he finished on the bull and seals the title in one of the best Players Championship finals this year.

Just two top 10 players featured today in Hildesheim, both being from the Netherlands and both suffering early exits. Gian van Veen averaged less than 80 in his second round match and paid the price. Michael van Gerwen did that in his opening match but won 6-0. Even more bizarrely, he went on to lose 6-4 in the third round against Jeffrey de Graaf while averaging over 105.

Many of the top players opted not to make the trip following the conclusion of the World Matchplay. Luke Littler has stated his intentions of competing in a couple of floor events, but that is not in these ones with Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton, James Wade, Gary Anderson, Nathan Aspinall and Blackpool finalist Gerwyn Price among the others who did not compete.

By the quarter-final stage, only two top 30 players were involved. Number one seed Wessel Nijman lost in the first round for just the second time this season. Chris Dobey and Jermaine Wattimena managed to make it to the third round before succumbing to defeat while the recent Women’s World Matchplay champion Beau Greaves lost out to Springer 6-3 in the last-16.