Cross And Price Taste Success In ProTour Season Openers

Cross And Price Taste Success In ProTour Season Openers

Alex Moss |

A Week In Darts - February 12, 2025 - Cross And Price Win Titles As New ProTour Season Begins In Wigan

The 2025 PDC ProTour season kicked off this week with a Players Championship double-header in Wigan, whilst the Premier League got under way in Belfast. Here's our round-up of the action...

CLASSY CROSSY DOUBLES TITLE TALLY

Rob Cross continued his title-winning start to 2025 by winning his second tournament of the year at Players Championship 1 on Monday.

‘Voltage’ followed up his victory on the World Series, at last month’s Dutch Darts Masters, by tasting success in the opening ProTour event of the new season.

The world number four averaged 98 for the day as he produced a series of impressive displays at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, in Wigan, in what was the first of a record 34 Players Championship events to be held in 2025.

After edging past Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 in a last-leg shootout in the quarter-finals, Cross overturned a 3-0 deficit against Andrew Gilding, averaging 108 as he reeled off seven straight legs to win 7-3.

The 34-year-old then posted a 104 average and hit five 180s in an 8-3 triumph over Joe Cullen in the final, as he battled through the 128-player field to scoop the £15,000 top prize.

“I’ve been hit and miss in the last few months, but I’m enjoying myself at the minute, and when I do find it, I can play some special darts,” Cross said.

“I had a couple of wisdom teeth out at the weekend, so I don’t feel at my best right now, but I can’t use that as an excuse.

“I feel like I’m getting better, and if I can deliver that when I’m not 100%, that is typical Bobby isn’t it!”

PRICE ENDS RANKING TITLE DROUGHT

Gerwyn Price ended a year-long run without a PDC ranking title after picking up the Players Championship 2 crown on Tuesday.

‘The Iceman’ won a pair of non-ranking events on the World Series circuit in 2024, lifting both the Nordic and Australian Darts Masters titles in front of the cameras.

But ahead of this week’s ProTour double-header in Wigan, the last time Price had tasted success in a ranking event was back in November 2023.

The former world champion ended that run by winning the second Players Championship of the season, averaging just under 100 for the day at the Robin Park Tennis Centre.

After coming through an epic last-leg thriller against the reigning world champion Luke Littler in the quarter-finals, Price edged past Ryan Searle 7-5 in the semi-finals before defeating Chris Dobey 8-7 in another nail-biting contest in the final.

“I’m enjoying the game more. I think my mentality and the way I think has changed, and it has just benefitted me,” Price reflected.

“I had a little bit of help with a sports psychologist before the World Championship, which really helped.

“I know how well I am playing, but when it comes to the big games sometimes, I am trying too hard because I want it too much.

“This is what I needed. This win will hopefully make things come a little bit easier, because when you’re winning you don’t try too hard.”

OPENING NIGHT DELIGHT FOR HUMPHRIES

Luke Humphries made the perfect start to the new Premier League season after winning the opening night in Belfast last Thursday.

The world number one, who finished runner-up to Luke Littler in his debut campaign in 2024, took an early lead at the top of this year’s table after beating Nathan Aspinall, Michael van Gerwen and Chris Dobey at The SSE Arena last week.

Humphries began the night with a 105 average as he ran out a 6-2 winner against Aspinall, before getting the better of van Gerwen 6-5 in a dramatic showdown in the semi-finals.

And the newly crowned World Master ensured he picked up the full five points from his trip to the Northern Irish capital, seeing off the returning Dobey 6-1 in the final.

“I thought I played pretty well tonight,” Humphries said.

“I was very fortunate against Michael. It’s not usually like him to miss that amount of doubles, and then I finished really well against Chris.

“I’m really happy to make a good start. My goal was just to get into the top four – that’s all that matters.

“I am always striving to be better, because there are so many great players in this tournament, and I think this is the toughest Premier League line-up for a very long time.”

Earlier on in the night, van Gerwen defeated the 2024 Premier League champion Littler 6-5 in a high-quality quarter-final tussle which saw ‘The Nuke’ average 113.91 – the second highest losing average in Premier League history.

The Premier League season continues with night two at the OVO Hydro, in Glasgow, this Thursday (February 13).

Pictures: Taylor Lanning/PDC

Alex Moss is a content creator for Darts Corner and the co-host of the Weekly Dartscast podcast. Alex co-founded the Weekly Dartscast in 2017 and has helped produce 350+ episodes of the podcast, with their list of previous guests on the show a who’s who in the world of darts.

Alex also writes content for the Darts Corner blog, including the weekly darts news round-ups and how-to guides.

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