Humphries takes Players Championship 33 – just 14 legs dropped in seven matches
Luke Humphries wins Players Championship 33, beating Niels Zonneveld 8:4 in the final; Zonneveld had earlier seen off Michael van Gerwen 7:5. All results from the quarter-finals onwards.
Luke Humphries has won Players Championship 33, beating Niels Zonneveld 8:4 in the final. The Englishman dropped only 14 legs across his seven matches, twice leaving his opponent without a single leg. Zonneveld had come through the semi-final 7:5 against Michael van Gerwen.
Players Championship 33: Humphries' road to the title
Up to the semi-final, five matches cost Humphries a mere six legs: two wins without conceding a leg in the last 64 and last 32, plus a 6:2 in the last 16 against Steve Lennon. In the quarter-final he beat Gerwyn Price 6:2, in the semi-final Gary Anderson 7:4. Zonneveld never dropped more than four legs in his first five matches, knocking out Jeffrey de Zwaan 6:1 in the last 16 and Dirk van Duijvenbode 6:4 in the quarter-final. After the 7:5 over van Gerwen, it ended in the final at 4:8.
How the German-speaking players fared at Players Championship 33
| Player | Record | Out in round |
|---|---|---|
| Niko Springer | 2-1 | Last 32 |
| Mensur Suljović | 1-1 | Last 64 |
| Gabriel Clemens | 1-1 | Last 64 |
| Max Hopp | 1-1 | Last 64 |
| Ricardo Pietreczko | 1-1 | Last 64 |
| Martin Schindler | 0-1 | Last 128 |
| Lukas Wenig | 0-1 | Last 128 |
| Alexander Merk | 0-1 | Last 128 |
| Stefan Bellmont | 0-1 | Last 128 |
| Rusty-Jake Rodriguez | 0-1 | Last 128 |
| L. Weber | 0-1 | Last 128 |
| M. Kraft | 0-1 | Last 128 |
| D. Gruellich | 0-1 | Last 128 |
Niko Springer went furthest: after wins of 6:2 and 6:1 he lost 5:6 to Luke Woodhouse in the last 32. Mensur Suljović went out just as narrowly a round earlier (5:6). Gabriel Clemens (4:6) and Max Hopp (1:6 against Danny Noppert) exited in the last 64, where Ricardo Pietreczko was left without a leg at 0:6. The opening round featured two German duels: Hopp beat Alexander Merk 6:2, Pietreczko beat Lukas Wenig 6:3. Martin Schindler had to bow to Michael Smith 2:6, Stefan Bellmont lost 5:6.
Players Championship 33: all results from the quarter-finals onwards
| Round | Tie | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Michael van Gerwen – Danny Noppert | 6:0 |
| Quarter-final | Gerwyn Price – Luke Humphries | 2:6 |
| Quarter-final | Gary Anderson – Raymond van Barneveld | 6:3 |
| Quarter-final | Dirk van Duijvenbode – Niels Zonneveld | 4:6 |
| Semi-final | Niels Zonneveld – Michael van Gerwen | 7:5 |
| Semi-final | Gary Anderson – Luke Humphries | 4:7 |
| Final | Luke Humphries – Niels Zonneveld | 8:4 |
A total of 127 matches were played, and the recorded player records span ten nations. Averages, 180s and checkout data are not available for this tournament.
Seven Dutchmen in the last 16 – the verdict
The Netherlands supplied seven of the last 16 and five of the last eight; in the end Zonneveld was the one left, in the final. There was nothing to be had against Humphries, who dropped just 14 legs across the entire tournament.