Rob Cross claimed his first title of 2026 at Players Championship 22 in Wigan, defeating Maik Kuivenhoven 8-5 in the final on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cross – who hadn\u2019t claimed a ranking title since the first Players Championship event of 2025 – won seven games straight to scoop the \u00a315,000 top prize at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former World Champion\u2019s win practically cements his place at the World Matchplay in July, following an impressive day at the oche with a tournament average of 98.91.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always thought I was going to win, and when I\u2019m like that, usually I do win,”\u00a0assessed Cross, who has won a ProTour title every year since 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had my trials and tribulations. I\u2019ve got a lot going on at the minute. If I can get the best out of my capabilities I believe I can win every day, but sometimes mentally it can hold you back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThree months ago you look at the World Matchplay [race] and I\u2019m out of it. I\u2019m probably \u00a315,000 adrift, but I managed to give myself a good kick up the backside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know the World Matchplay is around the corner, and I love the World Matchplay. It\u2019s all about results, and to win this today is very special for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve still got a great support behind me, and if I can carry on playing the way I am, I still think I\u2019m dangerous to the top boys in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2017\/18 World Champion had a resounding start to the day, picking off Dutch duo Chris Landman and Jimmy van Schie with consecutive 6-1 victories, including a 103.43 average against the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 35-year-old\u2019s dominance continued, seeing off Connor Scutt 6-2 before bagging another 6-1 win against David Sharp in the last 16 with another impressive average of 104.73.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the quarter-finals, Cross put out Alexander Merkx 6-4 in his closest contest of the day, before triumphing in a marvellous display against Stephen Bunting to reach the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2019 World Matchplay winner took three astounding checkouts of 170, 127 and 130 to move 3-1 up, before closing out the match with his third ton-plus average and defying an average in excess of 104 from Bunting to reach his first ProTour final of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Five holds of throw kicked off the finale against Kuivenhoven, before Cross appeared to create breathing room with a break of throw to lead 4-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dutchman broke back, but Cross produced a wonderful spell of three straight legs, including a ten-darter to move onto the precipice of victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two-time European Champion spurned four match darts in the subsequent leg to allow Kuivenhoven back into the game, but recovered to win 8-5 and celebrate an 11th Players Championship crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kuivenhoven, meanwhile, broke new ground in reaching a career-first Players Championship final, despite falling short in the final to Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dutchman took the scalps of Christian Kist and Alan Soutar with back-to-back 6-3 wins, before downing Rob Owen 6-2 with a stellar display to reach the last 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There, Kuivenhoven saw off Ryan Searle with another 6-3 triumph, after the former World Championship semi-finalist had recorded two ton-plus averages in his opening three matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 37-year-old then accounted for world number three Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals, before pipping Tom Bissell in a tortuous last-leg decider to reach a maiden Players Championship final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bissell burst into 15th on this year\u2019s Players Championship rankings after reaching his fourth semi-final of 2026, eliminating the likes of Charlie Manby, Cameron Menzies and Jonny Clayton in another impressive outing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bunting fell just short of reaching a second Players Championship final of the year, taking out Kim Huybrechts and Andrew Gilding before seeing off Tommy Morris in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Morris – a late call-up who does not hold a Tour Card – broke new ground in reaching his first ProTour quarter-final of 2026, averaging north of 97 in all four of his victories in Wigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other quarter-finalists included Van Veen, Merkx and Gabriel Clemens, with former World Championship semi-finalist Clemens conceding just four legs in his four victories before bowing out to Bissell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were a handful of shock round one casualties, including Players Championship 21 semi-finalist Beau Greaves who fell short to an impressive display from Ritchie Edhouse, while fourth seed Luke Woodhouse was knocked out by Dennie Olde Kalter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ProTour continues this weekend at the inaugural Slovak Darts Open in Bratislava from June 19-21, before the final double-header of Players Championship action takes place before the World Matchplay spots are secured with Events 23-24 in Leicester from July 6-7. Quarter-Finals<\/strong> Semi-Final<\/strong> Final<\/strong> Rob Cross claimed his first title of 2026 at Players Championship 22 in Wigan, defeating Maik Kuivenhoven 8-5<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-13940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-darts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
RESULTS<\/strong>
Last 16
<\/strong>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<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rob Cross 7-3 Stephen Bunting
Maik Kuivenhoven 7-6 Tom Bissell<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rob Cross 8-5 Maik Kuivenhoven<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"