Sebastian Bialecki claimed his maiden PDC ranking title with an 8-6 victory over Niels Zonneveld in Tuesday’s Players Championship 22 decider.
Bialecki broke new ground with a landmark win in Hildesheim, overturning a 6-4 deficit against Zonneveld to join Krzysztof Ratajski and Radek Szaganski in becoming the third Polish player to win a senior ranking title.
The 21-year-old has suffered six consecutive first round exits on the ProTour ahead of Tuesday’s action, although he snapped that streak in sensational style to pocket the £15,000 top prize.
Bialecki had also never progressed beyond the last 16 of a Players Championship event prior to this afternoon, but he defied the record books with a string of superb performances at Halle 39.
The former UK Open quarter-finalist recovered from 5-3 down to deny Lukas Wenig in his opener, before overcoming Adam Paxton, Luke Woodhouse and Cameron Menzies to reach the last eight.
Bialecki registered ton-plus averages in wins over Menzies and Gian van Veen, while he also converted magical 161 and 156 checkouts to defeat Danny Noppert 7-5 in the semi-finals.
This set up a showdown against another Dutch star in Zonneveld, who ended a sequence of eight successive holds of throw to establish a 6-4 cushion in Tuesday’s showpiece.
However, Bialecki halted Zonneveld’s charge via double 16, before producing legs of 15, 12 and 13 darts to secure the biggest win of his fledgling career.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m over the moon,” reflected Bialecki, who is currently in his first year as a Tour Card Holder.
“I was 5-3 down in my first match but I made the comeback, and then my confidence and game got better and better.
“The game against Cameron was probably the most important for me, because I had lost five times in the last 16 before.
“I just want to keep playing my best game. The most important target was to qualify for the World Championship from the ProTour, so hopefully I have done enough now.”
Zonneveld – who was also chasing his maiden ranking title – averaged north of 101 in his opening round demolition of Haupai Puha, which he backed up with wins over Henry Coates and Joe Cullen.
The left-hander then accounted for his fellow countrymen Wesley Plaisier and Jamai van den Herik to reach the semi-finals, where he launched a superb fightback from 4-0 down to topple Cam Crabtree.
Crabtree dumped out World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker and averaged 105 to sweep aside Steve Lennon, as the 21-year-old secured his spot in a second Players Championship semi-final.
He was joined in the last four by Dutch number two Noppert, who accounted for the likes of Andreas Harrysson and Gabriel Clemens to walk away with £5,000 in ranking prize money.
Noppert was one of five Dutch stars featuring in the quarter-finals, with World Youth Champion Van Veen, Van Schie and rising star van den Herik all crashing out in the last eight.
Van Veen averaged almost 107 in his third round victory over Owen Bates, although the performance of the day was delivered by Swedish star Harrysson, who averaged 110.18 in his 6-2 thumping of Max Hopp.