Superb Searle eases past Hughes to seal Players Championship 1 glory as first ProTour of 2023 concludes

Ryan Searle lost out in the first Players Championship of the year in 2022 but not in 2023 as he produced a superb mid-match surge to see off Jamie Hughes 8-4 and seal Players Championship 1 in Barnsley.

Searle claims a fourth PDC ranking title and maintains a streak of winning one every single year since 2020, while for Hughes despite defeat, he has a lot to take from a first final since his Czech Darts Open win in 2020. Another tournament finishes the weekend tomorrow.

Hughes started with a 120 checkout but after missing two, Searle hit a 152 checkout to level up and it was sat at 2-2.

It was a third consecutive leg for Searle to break and head 3-2 up. A 108 set up from 148 for Searle allowed him to go 4-2 up.

It was five consecutive legs for Searle who hit double 20 for 5-2. A 67 checkout saw Searle hit double 20 again to go two away at 6-2.

Searle finally missed double 20 from 91 and Hughes finally held throw after six consecutive legs. Searle continued to miss darts at double but Hughes couldn’t pounce and ‘Heavy Metal’ made it 7-3.

Hughes held to make it 7-4. Searle laid up double 20 from 140 and Hughes couldn’t pin 110 and the former returned to seal it.

Ryan Searle (100.93) 6 | 4 (93.30) Luke Humphries

Dirk van Duijvenbode (90.12) 6 | 5 (87.29) Jurjen van der Velde

Jonny Clayton (99.49) 6 | 5 (97.85) Kim Huybrechts

Dave Chisnall (96.79) 6 | 5 (96.44) Stephen Bunting

Callan Rydz (95.81) 6 | 4 (93.80) Mario Vandenbogaerde

Jamie Hughes (94.32) 6 | 3 (86.61) Michael Smith

Dylan Slevin (89.39) 6 | 3 (88.48) Bradley Brooks

Daryl Gurney (91.50) 6 | 2 (82.75) Danny Noppert

Ryan Searle (93.95) 6 | 5 (94.07) Dirk van Duijvenbode

Jonny Clayton (101.91) 6 | 1 (87.42) Dave Chisnall

Jamie Hughes (90.04) 6 | 4 (99.63) Callan Rydz

Dylan Slevin (91.53) 6 | 5 (86.78) Daryl Gurney

Ryan Searle (95.39) 7 | 4 (102.69) Jonny Clayton

Jamie Hughes (89.33) 7 | 2 (89.83) Dylan Slevin

Ryan Searle (100.75) 8 | 4 (93.07) Jamie Hughes