Players Championship 12 Round-Up | Red-hot Wessel Nijman takes Dutch derby to win fourth title of the year

The 12th Players Championship took place on Tuesday afternoon with Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen and Gary Anderson the leading lights. Beau Greaves won the first of the week but the second had an all too familiar feeling.

That being a Wessel Nijman title success with the Dutchman scooping his fourth ProTour title of the year and his seventh overall to continue his stranglehold of the Players Championship series.

He defeated Jermaine Wattimena in what was a great day for Dutch darts even with no MVG and Gian van Veen losing early. Three out of the four semi-finalists were from the great darting nation in Nijman, Wattimena and Kevin Doets. Only Tom Bissell was from anywhere else.

But in the end after weathering an early Wattimena lead, it was Nijman who roared to victory and continues to dominate the floor tournaments to his great delight.

To start, Wattimena missed the bull for 88 and Nijman looked at 44 but missed two darts and back came Wattimena for double eight for 1-0. 113 was missed by Wattimena on double 20 and back came Nijman looking at 96. He pinned double eight for 1-1.

Nijman bust double 16 and Wattimena picked his pocket on double eight to break again and was throwing for 3-1. Nijman held pinning double 20 but Wattimena snapped the break streak holding for 3-1 so at 3-2 down he needed a break.

Wattimena missed 106 on double 16 but Nijman was way back. 'Machine Gun' returned first time for 4-2. 56 was taken out for Nijman and he was down to 47 in three visits. He pinned double 16 for a level game at 4-4.

A third leg on the spin on double 16 and Nijman lead 5-4. An excellent 80 checkout for Wattimena stopped the rot at 5-5. A 57 checkout from Nijman to hold throw and go 6-5 up and two away.

Wattimena missed two at double 10 to make it 6-6 and Nijman looked at 106. But he missed both treble attempts and Wattimena was back only to miss three at double 10. Nijman was back for double 16 to go 7-5 up. He was throwing for the win.

Double eight for Nijman sealed it as he took the win 8-5. A seventh title overall and a fourth of the year for the red-hot Dutchman.

Elsewhere today, Luke Humphries lost very early being defeated by Keane Barry in the opening round. Gian van Veen also lost early being defeated by a resurgent Dimitri van den Bergh. Stephen Bunting another big name lost in the Last 32 to Mike de Decker.

Chris Dobey and Gary Anderson were the main standout names who got to the Quarter-Finals with Beau Greaves run ending at the hands of Tom Bissell 6-0 after her title success yesterday. But Dobey lost to Wattimena and Anderson was downed by Doets.

This led to a great complexion for Dutch darts but in the end it was an all too familiar tale for Nijman as he reigns supreme again.