James Wade has claimed his first Players Championship title of the season in Germany, producing a superb day on the floor to secure a ProTour win. The experienced Englishman defeated the likes of Michael van Gerwen and Nathan Aspinall along the way, marking not only a sporting boost but a clear statement after his disappointment at missing out on a Premier League Darts spot.
"I'm absolutely buzzing after clinching my first Players Championship of the year," Wade said afterwards. "The excitement is amplified because I managed to beat two formidable opponents: the legendary Michael van Gerwen in the semi-final and the talented Nathan Aspinall in the final. Talk about impressive scalps." The veteran admitted that missing the Premier League line-up hurt him, but he sees it as extra motivation. "I firmly believe the best way to bounce back from disappointment in the Premier League selection is to immerse myself in the game of darts, and what a phenomenal start this week has been."
Wade's victory came via a brutal route to the title. Earlier in the day, he escaped twice in last-leg deciders against Karel Sedlacek and Alexander Merkx respectively. After those nerve-racking contests, he stepped it up with a convincing 6-1 win over Jeffrey de Graaf and a solid 6-3 victory against Austria's number one Mensur Suljovic to book his place in the semi-finals. There, he faced Van Gerwen and stayed cool to take the match, then finished the job in the final against Aspinall. Wade also noted that an earlier win over Joe Cullen made it sweeter, as he had lost to Cullen at the World Grand Prix in Leicester during a spell when, by his own admission, he was struggling away from the board.
Thanks to his tournament victory, Wade storms back into the world's top eight. "I've stormed into the world's top eight, and I'm now just one title away from securing a coveted spot in the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton, as well as a guaranteed place at the Players Championship in Minehead - what a strong kickoff to the season," he said. His year, however, began less than ideally. "The year didn't begin as smoothly as I had hoped, with frenzied travels to Germany (Hildesheim) taking up two intense days, but now I'm feeling revitalised."
There's little time to savor the title for Wade. "But there's truly no rest for the wicked," he joked. "I've just returned from Germany, and now I'm heading off for two exhilarating nights of exhibitions." In three weeks, the next major assignment awaits: the UK Open in Minehead. That tournament is close to Wade's heart; he has won the event three times and reached the final again last year. "It's just three weeks until the highly anticipated UK Open in Minehead, where I previously triumphed three times and reached the final last year. If I make a deep run in the tournament this time, I could very well find myself climbing to 5th or 6th in the world rankings."
