BULLY BOY DOES THE DOUBLE! 🏴 That was CLINICAL. Michael Smith hits 81% of his doubles on his way to an incredible 8-3 success over Callan Rydz in the Players Championship 15 final! FOURTEEN consecutive wins 🤯🔥
Michael Smith came into these two days of Players Championship action as the standout player in a depleted field in Wigan not including many of the big names.
But Smith has lived up to that billing in some style with back-to-back glory seeing off Callan Rydz in the final 8-3 courtesy of a 110 average, 9/11 on the doubles and a high checkout of 161.
This after sealing the title yesterday in similar dominant fashion and barring surviving match darts against Ritchie Edhouse, he was in similar unstoppable form today.
This included a nine-dart finish earlier in the day and now he has fourteen consecutive wins and two titles to show for it.
Rydz started with a 90 checkout for a 12-darter using two 25’s and double 20 to go 1-0 up. He missed the bull for a 112 checkout and Smith replied with a 70 checkout to level up.
A 180 and 62 for a 12-darter saw Smith lead with a break. Another 12 saw him hit an 81 checkout to go 3-1 up. An effortless 128 checkout saw Rydz go 3-2 down with a hold.
Smith missed the 105 going next door on double eight but he returned for that target again to pin it to go 4-2 up. Rydz kept clinging on at 4-3 down but needed a break and that wasn’t forthcoming with double 14 seeing that two leg gap opened again at 5-3.
A 161 checkout saw Smith continue his showstopping salvo as he went 6-3 up to break again with a 109 average. He hit double eight to go one away. Rydz missed chances to hold and keep himself in it and Smith took out 69 on double 12 for the title.
Players Championship 15 Results
Last 16
Steve West (84.75) 4 | 6 (89.81) Alan Soutar
Josh Rock (101.55) 6 | 4 (94.01) Martijn Kleermaker
Michael Smith (104.08) 6 | 5 (94.29) Mario Vandenbogaerde
Florian Hempel (83.38) 6 | 1 (84.03) Jamie Hughes
Callan Rydz (100.16) 6 | 1 (101.42) Rob Cross
Dirk van Duijvenbode (108.15) 6 | 1 (90.13) Robert Owen
Damon Heta (94.59) 6 | 2 (89.82) Adrian Lewis
Ryan Joyce (93.69) 6 | 5 (95.96) Stephen Bunting
Quarter-Finals
Alan Soutar (85.11) 6 | 4 (91.38) Josh Rock
Michael Smith (114.90) 6 | 2 (94.64) Florian Hempel
Callan Rydz (102.65) 6 | 4 (103.11) Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ryan Joyce (96.52) 6 | 4 (98.22) Damon Heta
Semi-Finals
Michael Smith (92.73) 7 | 3 (90.37) Alan Soutar
Callan Rydz (104.07) 7 | 1 (91.79) Ryan Joyce
Final
Michael Smith (109.95) 8 | 3 (104.13) Callan Rydz
BULLY BOY DOES THE DOUBLE! 🏴 That was CLINICAL. Michael Smith hits 81% of his doubles on his way to an incredible 8-3 success over Callan Rydz in the Players Championship 15 final! FOURTEEN consecutive wins 🤯🔥