Ratajski is Pole at the Double

Plucky Pole Krzysztof Ratajski admitted he did the “impossible” and join an elite club of players who have produced back-to-back Players Championship wins. The Polish Eagle, ranked 73 in the world, beat Adrian Lewis 6-4 to make it two wins in 48 hours in the Barnsley events. Only the likes of Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, Michael van Gerwen, Lewis and Robert Thornton have ever achieved successive weekend wins. Ratajski has now racked up three ProTour wins this year, with his latest £10,000 success guaranteeing him a place at the Players Championship Finals and the William Hill World Darts Championship, while also moving him into a provisional qualifying place for the Grand Slam of Darts. He admitted: “I can't believe it, for me this is really something impossible but I've done it again. I don't know how I did it but for me this is a perfect weekend - I am so happy! “I've beaten some really great players this weekend but I have big respect for all of them.” Ratajski recorded wins over Cameron Menzies, Zoran Lerchbacher, Terry Temple, Daryl Gurney, Michael Smith and Kyle Anderson to set up a showdown with Lewis, who was starring in his fourth PDC final of the year. A high-quality start to the final saw four consecutive holds of throw, with each leg won in 15 darts or fewer before Lewis missed three darts at double top for a break of throw and Ratajski punished by hitting double 16 with his last dart in hand. Two-time World Champion Lewis hit single 19-double 19-double 20 to take out 97 and let out a determined roar in a passionately contested final, only for the Pole to hit double 16 once again to go 4-3 ahead. Lewis levelled it up again before Ratajski's trusty double 16 saw him move within a leg of victory, and he then hit the same double to clinch the title. Despite defeat in the final, Lewis continued his strong ProTour form in 2018, reaching the final thanks to wins over Chris Quantock, Robert Thornton, Jamie Hughes, Jamie Bain, James Wade and Luke Humphries. Earlier in the day, Dutchman Jimmy Hendriks landed a nine-dart leg in his first round game with Mark Wilson, the second perfect leg of the weekend after Andrew Gilding achieved the feat on Saturday. By Phil Lanning (@lannomedia)