Gabriel Clemens produced an inspired 170 checkout to clinch his maiden PDC ranking title with a dramatic 8-6 victory over Luke Woodhouse on Tuesday. Clemens had lost each of his previous seven PDC finals – the first of which came in 2018 – but his perseverance finally paid off in Leicester, as he joined the […]
Gabriel Clemens produced an inspired 170 checkout to clinch his maiden PDC ranking title with a dramatic 8-6 victory over Luke Woodhouse on Tuesday.
Clemens had lost each of his previous seven PDC finals – the first of which came in 2018 – but his perseverance finally paid off in Leicester, as he joined the winner’s circle in sensational style.
The 42-year-old has relinquished his place in the world’s top 40 over the last 18 months, but he reaffirmed his credentials with a milestone triumph at the Mattioli Arena.
Clemens becomes the fifth German player to win a PDC ranking title, following in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen Max Hopp, Ricardo Pietreczko, Martin Schindler and Niko Springer.
“I lost so many finals, and I’m very happy… I have no words now,” reflected an emotional Clemens.
“Last week, I had a quarter-final, and again earlier in the year. Now I hope it can keep going better.
“I have lost so many matches in finals, it was in my head; it’s normal.
“Every day I hope it’s my day… but today is my day!
“I’m very proud and I must say thank you to my wife. She always believes in me and I’m very happy now.”
Clemens’ campaign began with a 6-3 win at the expense of Thomas Lovely, which he backed up with notable victories over Dutch duo Michael van Gerwen and Kevin Doets.
Having accounted for three-time World Champion Van Gerwen and an in-form Doets, Clemens also defied a spectacular nine-darter from Scott Williams to prevail 6-5 in a battle between the former World Championship semi-finalists.
Clemens’ confidence continued to rise following a 6-1 demolition of Mickey Mansell in the quarter-finals, and he averaged almost 101 in dispatching another Irishman Brendan Dolan 7-3 in the last four.
The German maintained his relentless march towards victory in the opening exchanges of Tuesday’s final, crashing in five 180s in just seven legs to lead Woodhouse 5-2.
However, after spurning multiple opportunities to establish a commanding 7-2 buffer, Clemens began to toil as Woodhouse responded with a sequence of four straight legs to restore parity at six apiece.
Woodhouse had the momentum, but Clemens stopped the rot with a timely hold of throw in the penultimate leg, before conjuring the magical 170 finish to become a PDC title winner.
Despite surviving seven match darts in his opening round tie against Thibault Tricole, Woodhouse claimed a hat-trick of Dutch scalps en route to advancing to Tuesday’s showpiece.
The 37-year-old fought back from 3-1 down to topple Raymond van Barneveld in round two, which he backed up with successive 6-3 wins against Cam Crabtree and Justin Hood respectively.
Woodhouse then averaged 101 in a six-leg whitewash of Danny Noppert, before reeling off four straight legs from 5-3 down to deny world number three Gian van Veen in the semi-finals.
Van Veen’s run to the last four featured an impressive victory over Gary Anderson, in a repeat of the pair’s epic World Darts Championship semi-final back in January.
The Dutch number one was joined in the last four by a resurgent Dolan, who accounted for Stephen Bunting, Sebastian Bialecki and Chris Dobey in reaching his first ranking semi-final of 2026.
Having ended Bialecki’s slender hopes of World Matchplay qualification in round three, Dolan also fought back from 5-2 adrift to stun Dobey, averaging almost 103 in the process.
Dobey completed the last eight line-up alongside Noppert, Mansell and Madars Razma, who ended Daryl Gurney’s hopes of World Matchplay qualification with a deciding-leg triumph earlier in the day.
The Northern Irishman misses out on a place in Blackpool for the first time since 2015, with Dave Chisnall subsequently leapfrogging Gurney to record a 16th consecutive appearance at the Winter Gardens.
The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay will take place from July 18-26, as a star-studded 32-player field compete for the iconic Phil Taylor Trophy across nine days of action.
This will be preceded by the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Open in Leverkusen from July 10-12, while the next instalment of Players Championship action will take place in Hildesheim later this month.
The event draw and results are listed in the Tournament Hub.
Click here for match stats through DartConnect.
2026 Players Championship 24
Tuesday July 7
Mattioli Arena, Leicester
Last 16
Mickey Mansell 6-5 Connor Scutt
Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Scott Williams
Chris Dobey 6-3 Owen Bates
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Bradley Brooks
Gian van Veen 6-3 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Madars Razma 6-2 Jermaine Wattimena
Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Justin Hood
Danny Noppert 6-4 Rob Cross
Quarter-Finals
Gabriel Clemens 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Chris Dobey
Gian van Veen 6-3 Madars Razma
Luke Woodhouse 6-0 Danny Noppert
Semi-Finals
Gabriel Clemens 7-3 Brendan Dolan
Luke Woodhouse 7-5 Gian van Veen
Final
Gabriel Clemens 8-6 Luke Woodhouse
Nine-Darter!
Scott Williams landed a nine-darter in his round four tie against Gabriel Clemens.