Resilient Ross Smith denied nine-dart star Josh Rock to emotionally secure his second ProTour title of 2025 at Wednesday’s Players Championship 29 in Leicester.
Smith had withdrawn from last weekend's Swiss Darts Trophy for family reasons, but produced a classy series of displays as he swept all the way to victory at the Mattioli Arena.
Smith showed his class with four ton-plus averages during the event, while he also came from 6-4 and 7-5 down in the final against Rock before snatching victory with a 118 checkout in the deciding leg.
The win follows up Smith's imperious Players Championship 16 success in May, while the former European Champion was visibly emotional as he embraced Rock after landing the winning double 19.
Smith showed his class with four ton-plus averages during the event, while he also came from 6-4 and 7-5 down in the final against Rock before snatching victory with a 118 checkout in the deciding leg.
The win follows up Smith's imperious Players Championship 16 success in May, while the former European Champion was visibly emotional as he embraced Rock after landing the winning double 19.
Smith's run in Wednesday's event began with a 104 average as he saw off Berry van Peer, and he then saw off Jamai van den Herik and Lukas Wenig for the loss of just three legs.
He then produced a sensational 106 average to whitewash Michael van Gerwen in the last 16, before seeing off Ryan Meikle and Wessel Nijman to make the decider.
Rock produced the day's only nine-dart finish during his Round Three win over Wesley Plaisier, and he went on to defeat two further Dutchmen - Dirk van Duijvenbode and Danny Noppert - to reach the semi-finals.
There, he enjoyed a 7-4 success against Gary Anderson - claiming the game's decisive only break of throw in leg four - but was denied a second Players Championship title of 2025 by the narrowest of margins.
Anderson and Nijman enjoyed encouraging runs to the semi-finals in the build-up to next week's BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix, while world number one Luke Humphries and World Masters finalist Jonny Clayton progressed to the quarter-finals.
Van Gerwen won through to the last 16 as he continues his bid to secure a spot in next month's Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals, while Nathan Aspinall also remains outside the 64 qualifying places following his first round exit.
Thursday sees the week's ProTour triple-header conclude with Players Championship 30 from 1300 BST.
See full results in the Match Centre.
Match stats can be seen on DartConnect.
2025 Players Championship 29
Wednesday October 1
Mattioli Arena, Leicester
Last 16
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Ross Smith 6-0 Michael van Gerwen
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Martin Schindler
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Mike De Decker
Gary Anderson 6-5 Darryl Pilgrim
Luke Humphries 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Josh Rock 6-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Danny Noppert 6-2 Niels Zonneveld
Quarter-Finals
Ross Smith 6-4 Ryan Meikle
Wessel Nijman 6-0 Jonny Clayton
Gary Anderson 6-5 Luke Humphries
Josh Rock 6-2 Danny Noppert
Semi-Finals
Ross Smith 7-3 Wessel Nijman
Josh Rock 7-4 Gary Anderson
Final
Ross Smith 8-7 Josh Rock
Nine-Darter!
Josh Rock hit a nine-darter in Round Three against Wesley Plaisier.