Clinical Cross returns to winning ways with victory at Players Championship 22

Rob Cross picked up his first PDC ranking title of the year on Wednesday, after an 8-5 victory against Maik Kuivenhoven in the final of Players Championship 22, as the Pro Tour double header concluded at Wigan’s Robin Park Leisure Centre in the UK.  

Cross – who's last ranking title came at the opening Players Championship Event of 2025 – ended a 16-month drought as he reached the final firstly by recording victories against Chris Landman, Jimmy Van Schie, Connor Scutt, David Sharp, Alexander Merkx and Stephen Bunting, to set up a clash with Kuivenhoven.  

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Nothing separated the pair in the opening stages of the final, with both level at 2apiece after following four legs before Cross won back-to-back legs in 15 and 14 darts respectively to move 4-2 ahead and halfway to victory. Kuivenhoven then hit back with successive legs of his own in a total of 37 darts to square the tie up again at 4apiece. Cross then dominated the remainder of the final with ‘Voltage’ winning four of the following five legs and sealed an 8-5 victory in Leg 13 with a 14-darter to pick up an 11th Players Championship title of his career as well as the £15,000 top prize.  

Kuivenhoven’s run to a maiden PDC ranking final saw the Dutchman record victories on the day against Christian Kist, Alan Soutar, Rob Owen, Ryan Searle, Gian Van Veen and Tom Bissell, before being denied by Cross.  

Elsewhere, there were Quarter Final runs for Former World Championship Semi Finalist Gabriel Clemens and Challenge Tour representee Tommy Morris, whilst a trio of 2026 Players Championship title winners in Beau Greaves, Luke Woodhouse and Jeffrey De Graaf were amongst the first-round casualties.  

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The PDC Pro Tour returns on July 6-7 in Leicester with Players Championship 23 & 24 taking place and the final events before the qualification cut-off for the Betfred World Matchplay, with 128 players competing for £150,000 in prize money each day. Play will be broadcasted across four streaming boards on PDC.TV and various bookmaker websites worldwide, with all live scores and results on tv.dartconnect.com. 

PDC Players Championship 22 

Last 16 

Alexander Merkx 6-5 Cristo Reyes 

Rob Cross 6-1 David Sharp  

Tommy Morris 6-5 Cam Crabtree 

Stephen Bunting 6-2 Andrew Gilding 

Gabriel Clemens 6-1 Mickey Mansell 

Tom Bissell 6-5 Jonny Clayton 

Gian Van Veen 6-5 Adam Leek 

Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Ryan Searle 

Quarter Finals 

Rob Cross 6-4 Alexander Merkx 

Stephen Bunting 6-4 Tommy Morris 

Tom Bissell 6-5 Gabriel Clemens 

Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Gian Van Veen 

Semi Finals 

Rob Cross 7-3 Stephen Bunting 

Maik Kuivenhoven 7-6 Tom Bissell  

Final  

Rob Cross 8-5 Maik Kuivenhoven  

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