Nathan Potter powered his way to a maiden Winmau Challenge Tour title with a string of superb performances in Event Ten at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena on Sunday. Potter stormed through a 262-player field to triumph in the East Midlands, dispatching Poland’s former PDC title winner Radek Szaganski 5-1 to pocket the £3,000 top prize. The […]
Nathan Potter powered his way to a maiden Winmau Challenge Tour title with a string of superb performances in Event Ten at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena on Sunday.
Potter stormed through a 262-player field to triumph in the East Midlands, dispatching Poland’s former PDC title winner Radek Szaganski 5-1 to pocket the £3,000 top prize.
The 22-year-old began his campaign with a 5-4 victory over David Davies – who competed in last year’s World Darts Championship – wrapping up proceedings with a 13-darter in the decider.
Following a resounding 5-1 win over Cody Crabtree, Potter continued his progress by accounting for Graham Hall and Ultan McDyer, averaging 97 and 96 respectively.
The Norwich-born star then launched a remarkable fightback from 4-0 down to stun Stuart Wares in the last 16, surviving multiple match darts in booking his place in the quarter-finals.
There, Potter averaged 104.13 in defeating Jack Aldridge 5-2, before overcoming Derek Coulson by the same scoreline in the semi-finals, aided by an average of almost 99.
Potter then rounded off a breakthrough campaign with another terrific display against Szaganski, averaging 101.13 to secure his first PDC title.
Following successive holds of throw to kick off the Event Ten showpiece, Potter followed up an 11-darter with a clutch 118 checkout, before firing in successive 14-darters to clinch the title.
Szaganski – a winner on the PDC ProTour in 2023 – endured a gruelling afternoon at the Mattioli Arena, prevailing in a hat-trick of last-leg shoot-outs to kick off Sunday’s action.
The 46-year-old overturned a 4-1 deficit in his round three tie against Dylan Slevin, which he backed up with 5-2 wins over teenager Jenson Walker and Croatia’s Romeo Grbavac.
Szaganski then defied a late onslaught from Harry Ward to win through another deciding-leg affair in the quarter-finals, before whitewashing Danny Goddard in the semi-finals.
Potter’s maiden title lifts him up to seventh on the Winmau Challenge Tour rankings, with Joe Hunt still occupying a £450 lead over Coulson at the summit.
The top two players from the final 2026 Challenge Tour Rankings will secure a PDC Tour Card for 2027/28, with the top three players earning qualification for the 2026/27 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
The next instalment of Winmau Challenge Tour action will take place from May 1-3, as Hildesheim’s Halle 39 plays host to Events 11-15, with £20,000 in prize money up for grabs in each event.
Click here for match stats & results.
2026 Winmau Challenge Tour
Sunday March 29, Mattioli Arena, Leicester
Event Ten
Quarter-Finals
Radek Szaganski 5-4 Harry Ward
Danny Goddard 5-4 Tommy Lishman
Nathan Potter 5-2 Jack Aldridge
Derek Coulson 5-0 Keegan Brown
Semi-Finals
Radek Szaganski 5-0 Danny Goddard
Nathan Potter 5-2 Derek Coulson
Final
Nathan Potter 5-1 Radek Szaganski