Xiaochen Zong claimed a brace of titles as the opening four stages of the 2024 PDC China Premier League took place last weekend.
Zong has dominated the domestic circuit over recent years, and he began his defence of the PDC China Premier League with back-to-back wins in Stages Two and Three.
The three-time World Championship qualifier overcame Yuanjun Liu to triumph in Stage Two on Saturday, defying a mid-game rally from his compatriot to close out a 5-3 success.
Zong had averaged 98 in his quarter-final whitewash of Bin Zheng, while he also overcame newcomer Zizhao Zheng on his way to glory in the semi-finals.
The 25-year-old continued his winning run in Stage Three, sweeping aside Xicheng Han and Zheng before dispatching Liu in five straight legs to clinch the title.
However, Liu avenged those defeats with semi-final success over Zong in Stage Four, producing a stunning ten-darter in the penultimate leg on his way to an impressive 5-3 victory.
Liu also accounted for Han in the quarter-finals, before celebrating a deciding-leg victory against Chengan Liu in the Stage Four showpiece, recovering from 4-3 down to prevail in a dramatic finale.
Earlier in the weekend, Bin Zheng claimed the Stage One spoils, following up 5-4 wins against Yuanjun Liu and Han by dispatching a below-par Zong in Saturday’s decider.
The PDC China Premier League continues in Xiamen on April 13-14, with Stages 5-7 set to be broadcast through PDCTV for all subscribers worldwide.
Following the conclusion of Stage Seven, the top four players in the league table will progress to the Play-Offs on April 14, with US$1,500 on offer to the eventual champion.
Additionally, both finalists will represent China at the 2024 World Cup of Darts, which will take place in Frankfurt from June 27-30.