Players Championship 6 gets underway in Leicester this afternoon at 1 pm UK time, with the draw throwing up several immediate tests for the biggest names on the 2026 Pro Tour. With five events already completed and no single dominant force emerging, the focus shifts to who can build momentum rather than simply peak for one afternoon.
One of the standout ties sees Gerwyn Price open against Cristo Reyes. Price remains one of the most dangerous scorers on the floor, but Reyes is more than capable of turning this into a scrap if the former world champion does not settle quickly. Fresh from his Players Championship 3 title, Chris Dobey faces Benjamin Pratnemer, a match that will test whether Dobey can follow up success with stability rather than a short spike in form. There is also intrigue for Michael Smith, who takes on Niall Culleton, while Jonny Clayton meets James Hurrell in another tie where a slow start could prove costly.
Former world champion Gary Anderson is also in action against Arron Monk, while Peter Wright begins his campaign versus Dominik Gruellich. Elsewhere, Beau Greaves faces Chris Landman, and Dave Chisnall opens against Jurjen van der Velde in another potentially awkward encounter.
By Event 6, early exits begin to matter in the race for Players Championship Finals qualification. The short format continues to reward sharp starters and punish hesitation, and Leicester is unlikely to be any different. Play begins at 1pm UK time, with the Pro Tour once again offering little protection for reputation or ranking.
The full first-round draw includes: Bradley Brooks vs Cor Dekker, Lukas Wenig vs Mickey Mansell, Gerwyn Price vs Cristo Reyes, Maik Kuivenhoven vs Dennie Olde Kalter, Ryan Searle vs Adam Leek, Gabriel Clemens vs Scott Waites, Ryan Joyce vs Greg Ritchie, Steve Lennon vs Marvin van Velzen, Kevin Doets vs Nick Kenny, Jack Tweddell vs Thomas Lovely, Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Carl Sneyd, Jeffrey De Graaf vs Kai Gotthardt, Michael Smith vs Niall Culleton, Tavis Dudeney vs Richard Veenstra, Jonny Clayton vs James Hurrell, Henry Coates vs Tom Sykes, Niels Zonneveld vs Justin Hood, Viktor Tingstrom vs Madars Razma, Niko Springer vs Jimmy van Schie, Shane McGuirk vs Jenson Walker, Raymond van Barneveld vs Arno Merk, Andy Boulton vs Christian Kist, Chris Dobey vs Benjamin Pratnemer, Adam Paxton vs Maximilian Czerwinski, Dave Chisnall vs Jurjen van der Velde, Stefan Bellmont vs Jose Justicia, Luke Woodhouse vs Jeffrey Sparidaans, Darryl Pilgrim vs Ryan Meikle, Rob Cross vs Stephen Burton, Cam Crabtree vs Ricky Evans, Ross Smith vs Darius Labanauskas, Tytus Kanik vs Wesley Plaisier, William O'Connor vs Martin Lukeman, Stefaan Henderyck vs Filip Bereza, Joe Cullen vs Tom Bissell, Ian White vs Tommy Morris, Karel Sedlacek vs Owen Bates, Pero Ljubic vs Kim Huybrechts, Jermaine Wattimena vs Derek Coulson, Tommy Lishman vs Marvin Kraft, Ritchie Edhouse vs Mario Vandenbogaerde, Adam Lipscombe vs Stephen Rosney, Martin Schindler vs Dimitri Van den Bergh, Brendan Dolan vs Keane Barry, Krzysztof Ratajski vs Max Hopp, Adam Warner vs Mervyn King, Mike De Decker vs Rhys Griffin, Thibault Tricole vs Oskar Lukasiak, Peter Wright vs Dominik Gruellich, Rob Owen vs David Sharp, Damon Heta vs Mensur Suljovic, Beau Greaves vs Chris Landman, Daryl Gurney vs Sietse Lap, Matthias Ehlers vs Yorick Hofkens, Cameron Menzies vs Alan Soutar, Tyler Thorpe vs Samuel Price, Ricardo Pietreczko vs Sebastian Bialecki, Andrew Gilding vs Scott Williams, Charlie Manby vs Callan Rydz, Leon Weber vs Connor Scutt, Danny Noppert vs Jeffrey De Zwaan, Gary Anderson vs Arron Monk, Adam Gawlas vs Jim Long, and Joe Hunt vs Martijn Dragt.
