Raymond van Barneveld recorded his lowest average finish in PDC ProTour history as he lost 6-1 to Owen Bates in the second round of The Players Championship on Tuesday.

The five-time world champion was defeated by Bates in the second round, averaging just 69.39 points per game.

The legendary Dutchman averaged 65.86 against Martin Adams in 2020, but that was his lowest on the PDC Tour.

Niemann denies Price victory in epic final in Hildesheim

Wessel Nijman defied Gerwyn Price’s heroics to claim a fourth PDC ranking title in Hildesheim.

Price and Niemann are two of the top performers in the 2025 Players Championship standings, and they reaffirmed their credentials in a shocking day of action at Halle 39.

However, Niemann ended up claiming the top prize of £15,000, challenging Price’s average of 107.41 to win in a dramatic decider on penalties.

The budding Dutchman fired a trio of 14-darts to build an early 3-1 lead, but Price restored a three-way tie with the help of a 144-run sixth-round knock.

Subsequently, Price performed a gorgeous 121 check on Bull with 11 darts in the 10th round to lead 6-5, but his advantage was short-lived. Niemann counterattacked with a 12-dart break to tie the score at 6-6.

The pair then exchanged comfortable throwing holds, creating a thrilling finale, although the throwing advantage was crucial for Niemann, who ultimately won with a brilliant 171 and a clinical 94.

“To win a final like this, when Gervin pushes you to the limit, it means a lot,” insisted Niemann, who averaged 102.78 points in a memorable win.

“I’m very happy with the way I played today. I’m close to the top 24 now, but I still want to improve a lot.

“I want to be in the top 16, I want to progress in big tournaments.

“I’ve said it before in Dutch TV interviews; you can’t play like this on the pitch without something like this happening on the big stage.

“I’m not worried about not being able to perform on the big stage; I think it’s just a matter of time.”

Price has a staggering match average of 105.69 in his seven games, with two of those games having the highest average of the afternoon.

The fireworks began in his last 16 games with Luke Woodhouse, who averaged 111.14, against his arch-rival Michael van Gerwen.

Remarkably, Price even performed better against the Dutch superstar, finishing with a nine-minute whitewash for an average of 117.12, which included legs of 14, 11, 12, 11, 15 and 14 darts.

The Welshman then defeated Krzysztof Lataski 7-4 in the semi-finals, averaging over 104 points, but failed miserably in the final, losing to a gutless Niemann.

Monday’s winner James Wade was knocked out by Dave Chisnall in the final third-round decider, while European champion Gian van Veen and two-time world champion Peter Wright were among the high-profile first-round casualties on German soil.

Elsewhere, James Hurrell and Gabriel Clemens added their names to the nine-darts honours, beating Maik Kuivenhoven and Madars Razma respectively.

2026 Players Championship two results

Tuesday 10 February – Halle 39, Hildesheim

Last 16
Gwen Price 6-4 Luke Woodhouse
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 James Hurrell
Danny Noppert 6-2 Gabrielle Clemens
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Mario van den Bogaard
Ryan Sale 6-4 Kevin Dotz
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Darryl Gurney
Wessel Niemann 6-4 Tommy Morris
Carl Snead 6-5 Richie Edhaus

quarterfinals
Gervin Price 6-0 Michael van Gerwen
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Danny Noppert
Ryan Sale 6-1 Dave Chisnall
Wessel Niemann 6-2 Carl Sneed

semifinals
Gwen Price 7-4 Krzysztof Lataski
Wessel Niemann 7-2 Ryan Sale

final
Wessel Niemann 8-7 Gwen Price

Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts League? Luke Humphries will defend his title and you can watch the action every Thursday from February to May on Sky Sports. Live stream darts and more top sports with NOW.