CULLEN DENIED PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP 1 TITLE
Cullen threw six 180s as he won five consecutive legs to reach the last 16 of the tournament at the Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan.
Joe Cullen lost to Rob Cross in the Players Championship One final in Wigan on Monday, with Cross securing an emphatic 8-3 victory.
Cross produced a series of dominant displays to secure his second title of 2025 in the year’s opening Players Championship event, having also celebrated Dutch Darts Masters glory in Den Bosch last month.
The world number four made a blistering start to lead 3-0 with a 110 average, and although Cullen cut the deficit with back-to-back legs, Cross replied with legs of 13 and 14 darts to restore his three-leg buffer.
Cross then converted a crucial 129 checkout on the bull in leg nine to move 6-3 ahead, before following up an 11-dart break with another dominant hold to cap off a classy performance.
Cross’ heroics denied Cullen a first PDC ranking title since September 2022, although the former Masters champion enjoyed a welcome return to form in Wigan.
Cullen dumped out World Champion Luke Littler and world number one Luke Humphries in his run to the final, which began with successive deciding-leg wins over Greg Ritchie and Scott Williams.
The Bradford-born star then punished a below-par display from Littler in round three, before accounting for Dutch duo Gian van Veen and Richard Veenstra in reaching the semi-finals.
There, Cullen defied a stirring fightback from Humphries to triumph in a last-leg epic, averaging 105 to end Humphries’ 13-match winning run, which ironically began against him at the Winmau World Masters.
Humphries overcame Austrian duo Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Mensur Suljovic on his way to the last four, and he also defeated Mike De Decker in a repeat of October’s World Grand Prix final.
The world number one then swept aside Darryl Pilgrim to book his semi-final berth alongside Andrew Gilding, who saw off Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton and Luke Woodhouse to kick off the new ProTour season in style.
Woodhouse landed a brace of ton-plus averages in advancing to the last eight, where he was joined by new Tour Card Holder Pilgrim, European Championship runner-up Wattimena and Veenstra.
Dimitri Van den Bergh produced the performance of the day in Wigan, averaging 113.97 in his second round demolition of Cam Crabtree, while Ryan Searle averaged almost 108 in his first round defeat against Italy’s Michele Turetta.
Dutchman Michael van Gerwen, who beat Littler in the Premier League opener in Belfast last week, is not taking part in this tournament.
The 2025 PDC ProTour season continues with Players Championship 2 on Tuesday, with coverage set to be broadcast live through PDCTV and bookmakers’ websites worldwide.
2025 Players Championship 1
Monday February 10
Robin Park Leisure Centre, Wigan
Last 16
Rob Cross 6-3 Carl Sneyd
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Ross Smith
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Wessel Nijman
Joe Cullen 6-5 Gian van Veen
Richard Veenstra 6-2 Danny Noppert
Luke Humphries 6-4 Mike De Decker
Darryl Pilgrim 6-5 Damon Heta
Quarter-Finals
Rob Cross 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
Joe Cullen 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Luke Humphries 6-1 Darryl Pilgrim
Semi-Finals
Rob Cross 7-3 Andrew Gilding
Joe Cullen 7-6 Luke Humphries
Final
Rob Cross 8-3 Joe Cullen
