"It's an amazing feeling to win my first ever PDC title, I can't put my feelings into words"
Sunday 29 April 2018 21:54, UK
Jeffrey de Zwaan won his first senior PDC title with a 6-5 triumph over Jonny Clayton in the final of Players Championship Ten at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan on Sunday.
The Dutchman held his nerve in a tense deciding leg against Clayton, who enjoyed another sensational run after victory at the Austrian Darts Open last weekend.
The 22-year-old De Zwaan recorded wins over Zoran Lerchbacher, Michael Smith, Justin Pipe, Steve Beaton, James Wilson and Gabriel Clemens en route to clinching the £10,000 top prize.
A winner on the PDC Unicorn Development Tour in 2017, De Zwaan had already reached two other ProTour finals this year before finally going all the way in Sunday's Players Championship.
"I feel wonderful, it means so much to me," said De Zwaan, who won back his PDC Tour Card on the first day of Qualifying School in January.
"I've lost two finals so far this year so I was going into this game thinking 'I don't want to lose in the final again'.
"It's an amazing feeling to win my first ever PDC title, I can't put my feelings into words."
Clayton, who reached the final of the Players Championship Finals in Minehead last November, claimed the scalp of Michael van Gerwen on his way to reaching a first ProTour final this year.
He broke the De Zwaan throw in the opening leg of the final with an impressive 13-darter before the Dutchman broke straight back and then held throw to go 2-1 ahead.
The Welshman pinned double 12 to hold throw before De Zwaan hit back, taking out 80 in two darts to go back in front at 3-2.
Clayton continued the impressive form that saw him win his first ever European Tour event in Austria by firing in another 13-dart leg to level the match once again at 3-3. The pair exchanged holds of throw once more to make it 4-4 before Clayton moved within one leg of the title with a crucial break of throw, pinning double 16 with one dart.
De Zwaan hit a vital double one with his last dart to break straight back and set up a tense deciding leg.
With Clayton ready to pounce sat on 64, De Zwaan hit double nine with his last dart to take out 36 to claim his first ProTour victory.
The 2018 Premier League is back for more action on Thursday as we head to Birmingham for Week 14. Coverage gets underway from 7pm on Sky Sports Action & Sky Sports Main Event. The tungsten action will then continue in Aberdeen through to the season's conclusion with the Play-Offs on May 17 at The O2 in London.
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