Context:

Krzysztof Ratajski ended a streak of seven first-round losses by winning the PDC Players Championship 15, defeating Dave Chisnall 8-4 in the final. This victory marked Ratajski's first PDC ranking title since September 2023 and secured him a £15,000 prize, moving him into provisional qualification for the Betfred World Matchplay. Despite trailing in earlier matches, Ratajski displayed resilience, particularly notable in his comeback from a 3-0 deficit against Dylan Slevin and a 4-1 deficit against Jamai van den Herik. Dave Chisnall, who performed impressively with multiple ton-plus averages, reached the final but was unable to maintain his lead against Ratajski. The tournament featured other notable performances, including a nine-darter from Chisnall and a perfect leg from Luke Woodhouse during their respective matches.

Dive Deeper:

• Krzysztof Ratajski overcame a challenging period of seven consecutive first-round defeats by winning the PDC Players Championship 15, highlighting his resilience and determination in the sport of darts.

• In the final, Ratajski showcased his skill by defeating Dave Chisnall 8-4, securing a significant £15,000 top prize, which additionally placed him into the provisional qualification spots for the upcoming Betfred World Matchplay.

• Ratajski's path to victory included a remarkable comeback in earlier rounds, where he rebounded from a 3-0 deficit against Dylan Slevin and a 4-1 deficit against Jamai van den Herik, demonstrating his ability to perform under pressure.

• Dave Chisnall, despite achieving impressive ton-plus averages and a nine-darter performance, was unable to clinch the final match against Ratajski, ultimately falling 8-4.

• The tournament also saw notable performances from other players, such as Luke Woodhouse, who achieved a perfect leg during his match, adding to the competitive atmosphere of the event.

• Michael van Gerwen, a Premier League player, faced an early exit, losing in the first round to Dominik Gruellich, marking his fifth early departure in six ProTour events.

• The PDC ProTour season continues with the next event, Players Championship 16, providing ongoing opportunities for players to compete and qualify for major tournaments through PDCTV's live coverage.

• Poland's former World Master Krzysztof Ratajski produced a remarkable turnaround to clinch his first PDC ranking title since September 2023 with victory in Monday’s Players Championship 15.

• Ratajski defeated Dave Chisnall 8-4 to pocket the £15,000 top prize in Hildesheim, which also moves him into the provisional qualification places for July’s Betfred World Matchplay.

• The 48-year-old had incredibly lost seven consecutive first round matches on the PDC ProTour prior to Monday’s play, but he halted that run in sensational style at Halle 39.

• Ratajski rattled off four straight legs to seize control against Chisnall, following up legs of 15, 14 and 15 darts with a 123 checkout to lead 4-1.

• Chisnall reduced the arrears to 4-3 with back-to-back legs of his own, but after maintaining his cushion with a brace of 13-darters, Ratajski wrapped up victory with a fabulous 86 finish on the bull.

• “I really enjoyed that. I’m so happy,” reflected Ratajski, who averaged 101.73 against Chisnall to celebrate his eighth Players Championship title.

• “In the back of my head, I knew I had a chance to get to the World Matchplay, and this is a very big first step towards that!

• “The last few years have been a difficult time for me. I’ve had health problems and other problems, and my results have not been good.

• “I had lost seven matches in a row before today, but that is darts.

• “I was 3-0 down in my first match, I was 4-1 down in the third round so it was a difficult tournament for me, but I’m very happy I did it.”

• Ratajski looked poised to suffer an eighth consecutive defeat on the ProTour when he trailed Dylan Slevin 3-0, but a six-leg burst saw Poland’s premier player halt his losing sequence.

• Following a routine second round victory over Jim Long, Ratajski then fought back from 4-1 adrift to deny Jamai van den Herik in a decider, before averaging 102.48 in a whitewash win over Carl Sneyd.

• Ratajski later survived a match dart and defied a 102 average from Ross Smith to win through a compelling quarter-final, while he ran out a convincing 7-4 winner against Scott Williams in the last four.

• Chisnall, meanwhile, registered a quartet of ton-plus averages on his way to Monday’s showpiece, which included a 108.16 in his second round demolition of Darius Labanauskas.

• The St Helens star also achieved perfection midway through his clash against the Lithuanian, before averaging 101, 100 and 104 to dump out William Borland, Joe Cullen and Mike De Decker respectively.

• However, Chisnall was forced to survive two match darts in his semi-final success against Danny Noppert, who overcame Michael Smith, Callan Rydz and Gian van Veen to reach the last four.

• The former UK Open champion was joined in the last four by Williams, who posted a trio of ton-plus averages to advance to his second ranking semi-final of the season.

• Chisnall’s nine-darter was one of two perfect legs struck in Hildesheim on Monday, as Luke Woodhouse also produced a moment of magic in his second round tie against Martijn Dragt.

• Elsewhere, Michael van Gerwen – the solitary Premier League player in action this week – suffered his fifth opening round exit in six ProTour events, succumbing to an impressive Dominik Gruellich.

• Peter Wright crashed out at the same stage to Jim Williams, while James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld departed in round two, despite posting ton-plus averages earlier in the afternoon.

• The PDC ProTour season continues with Players Championship 16 on Tuesday, with coverage from four streaming boards set to be broadcast live through PDCTV.

• PDCTV subscription options include Event Pass and Day Pass packages, as well as Annual and Monthly Subscriptions.

• For the full stories and more in depth coverage of everything darts, together with the latest issues of their legendary publications, head on over to dartsworld.com

• 2025 Players Championship 15 Monday May 12

• Halle 39, Hildesheim

• Last 16
  Dom Taylor 6-1 Jermaine Wattimena
  Scott Williams 6-4 Gary Anderson
  Ross Smith 6-2 Ryan Joyce
  Krzysztof Ratajski 6-0 Carl Sneyd
  Dave Chisnall 6-2 Joe Cullen
  Mike De Decker 6-1 Jeffrey de Graaf
  Danny Noppert 6-5 Callan Rydz
  Gian van Veen 6-0 Niels Zonneveld

• Quarter-Finals
  Scott Williams 6-3 Dom Taylor
  Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Ross Smith
  Dave Chisnall 6-2 Mike De Decker
  Danny Noppert 6-1 Gian van Veen

• Semi-Finals
  Krzysztof Ratajski 7-4 Scott Williams
  Dave Chisnall 7-6 Danny Noppert

• Final
  Krzysztof Ratajski 8-4 Dave Chisnall