Plaisier’s extraordinary journey culminates in his achievement of becoming only the fourth player in history to secure a PDC ranking title without the possession of a PDC Tour Card.
The Dutchman’s path to glory was filled with suspense and drama, as he emerged as the victor in a hard-fought final against Rock, who pushed him to his limits with six match darts.
“I cannot believe it, to be honest, it’s unbelievable,” confessed the elated Plaisier after his victory. “Every game is tough but the final was a really hard game; I was hoping and praying I would get another chance.”
Plaisier showcased his resilience throughout the day, particularly in the quarter-finals where he made a remarkable comeback from being down 5-3 against Jose de Sousa. “In the quarter-finals I managed to come back from 5-3 down against Jose [de Sousa] and I started thinking ‘maybe this is my day’. I’ve been playing well all year and this is a crown on top of it,” he reflected.
The intense final saw Rock deliver a sensational 111 checkout to take a 4-3 lead, only to be outshone by Plaisier who claimed victory by winning four out of the next six legs to move to the brink of triumph at 7-6.
Despite Rock’s last-ditch effort with a 112 checkout to force a decider, he missed six crucial match darts at doubles 16, eight, and four, allowing Plaisier to seize the moment and secure victory by hitting the double top.
Plaisier’s path to glory began with impressive wins over formidable opponents like Matt Campbell, Ritchie Edhouse, and Florian Hempel. His resilience was tested yet again in nail-biting encounters against Krzysztof Ratajski and De Sousa, before he emerged victorious in the semi-finals against fellow Dutchman Danny Noppert by a score of 7-5.
On the other hand, Rock also displayed stellar performances on his quest for a third ranking title of the year, highlighted by a remarkable 110.89 average in his impressive last 16 victory over George Killington.