Smith defeats Joyce to win first ranking title for 11 months

Michael Smith won his first ranking title in 11 months as he beat Ryan Joyce in the final of the Players Championship 9 final in Hildesheim on Monday.

The 2023 world champion had not tasted victory on the circuit since winning PC13 in June 2023 and had reached only one semi-final this year.

However, he scooped the £15,000 ProTour title with an 8-6 victory over Joyce to become the ninth different winner in as many Players Championship events this year.

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Smith’s run to the title included whitewashes of Adam Hunt and Richard Veenstra and ton-plus averages of 106 and 110 against Jonny Clayton and Luke Woodhouse respectively.

He also defeated Oskar Lukasiak and Krzysztof Ratajski in the event, before battling his way to the title against Joyce.

Joyce’s run to the final included defeats of former world champion Raymond van Barneveld, top seed Dave Chisnall and former Masters winner Chris Dobey, before he saw off Ritchie Edhouse in the semi-finals.

Joyce had found himself 3-1 down early in the final, but turned the game on its head with a four-leg burst to lead 5-3 before Smith responded with three straight legs of his own to wrestle back the advantage.

Joyce levelled in leg 12, but Smith fired in a crucial tops to regain the lead before double eight in the next leg completed his victory.

“I’ve finally got my name back in that winner’s circle again and I’m over the moon,” said Smith after his win.

“It’s been hard. I was so far behind but if he was going to keep giving me chances, I had to take them.

“An 88 average in a final is not good, but it’s my first title in nearly 12 months.”

Can Smith earn Premier League play-off spot?

Smith will return to the Premier League stage in Leeds on Thursday, as he continues his bid to secure a play-off place.

Luke Littler, after his fourth nightly win in Aberdeen last Thursday, and reigning world champion Luke Humphries have already qualified for the final night at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday, May 23

Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen are clinging on to the final two places in the top four at the moment, but Smith and, to a lesser extent, Rob Cross have a chance of chasing them down.

Just three points separate Aspinall (25), Van Gerwen (24) and Smith (22), with Cross seven behind fourth-placed Van Gerwen after finishing runner-up to the in-form Littler on Night 13 in Aberdeen.

Aspinall plays Smith in the quarter-finals on Night 15 in Leeds, so a win for ‘The Asp’ would mean he leads Smith by at least five points at the end of that evening. If Aspinall then won his semi-final, Smith would be unable to overhaul him.

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