Rydz averts Chisnall comeback to seal deciding leg win at Players Championship 19, first title since 2021

Sunday, 03 September 2023 at 19:46

Callan Rydz sealed a ProTour double back in 2021 and never kicked on from there, but he has sealed his third career Players Championship title seeing off Dave Chisnall in Event 19 in Barnsley.

Rydz went 7-5 up and looked to be cruising, but Chisnall served up to some hammer blows that he survived to claim victory in the decider. It is the first of three Players Championship tournaments this weekend and the first goes to 'The Riot'.

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To start the tie, Rydz settled with a hold on double four. A 78 checkout saw Chisnall level up. A 108 checkout saw Rydz continue the holds at 2-1.

A 118 checkout on double 19 saw him hit the front with a break. He missed 153 for a 4-1 lead but Chisnall couldn’t take out 141 and ‘The Riot’ continued to live up to his moniker.

Chisnall snuck in a double eight last dart to make it 4-2. Rydz missed 70 for 5-2 and Chisnall took aim at the same equation. He missed double 10 and Rydz returned to lead by three.

An 88 checkout saw Chisnall keep pace with Rydz waiting to strike. Chisnall hit a 180 but the door was slammed shut with a clinical 96 checkout who made it 6-3.

He missed two darts at 81 to break and go one away. Chisnall hit double 18 to make it 6-4. He finally got the break to make it 6-5 and was serving up for parity.

Rydz missed the bull for 126 to go 7-5 up but two were gone from Chisnall to make it 6-6 and Rydz went one away. A 100 checkout using two double 20’s saw Chizzy break back to make it 7-6.

A 73 checkout from Chisnall sent it all the way. A 75 checkout though saw Rydz claim it.