Nijman Claims Fourth Ranking Title of 2026 with Dominant Display

Wessel Nijman continued his impressive start to 2026, securing his fourth ranking title of the year at the Players Championship 10 in Wigan. Nijman defeated former Grand Slam of Darts champion Scott Waites 8-2 in the final to reclaim the top spot in the Players Championship rankings. This victory came after Chris Dobey briefly overtook Nijman following his win at Players Championship Nine, but Nijman responded with a strong performance at the Robin Park Tennis Centre. Following a tough win against Martin Lukeman, Nijman went on to defeat Justin Hood, prompting a remarkable march towards the title. He then dominated Adam Gawlas, averaging nearly 110 in a six-leg demolition, before defeating Niels Zonneveld and Beau Greaves with impressive performances. In the semi-final, Nijman averaged 108.46 against Luke Woodhouse, setting the stage for his dominant display in the final. Nijman capitalized on Waites' slow start to establish an early lead, which set the tone for the rest of the match. Despite Waites narrowing the gap in leg three, Nijman regained control and powered into a 7-1 advantage. Waites managed to double his score, but Nijman sealed the win with a 15-dart hold, finishing with a 101.34 average. "Today was probably the best floor event I've played all year," Nijman admitted. "I hit many averages above 105, and it was a really good day. When I broke again to make it 4-1, it gave me a good feeling for the rest of the match, and it helped me in the final. I'm happy with how I played in the final and throughout the day. Maybe these kinds of events suit me." Nijman also achieved his first big-stage success at the European Darts Trophy last month and is now targeting more silverware at the European Darts Grand Prix. "When I'm in the zone and playing well, I could play all day like that," Nijman said. "The top 16 was my goal for the year, and the earlier I achieve it, the better. I lost in Munich and Wieze in the first round, but I hope to do a lot better in Sindelfingen this weekend." Elsewhere, Beau Greaves made it back-to-back quarter-finals with an impressive performance, featuring wins over Martin Schindler and Cameron Menzies. The final standings were: Last 16 - Wessel Nijman 6-3 Niels Zonneveld, Beau Greaves 6-4 Cameron Menzies, Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Scott Williams, Joe Hunt 6-5 Josh Rock, Chris Dobey 6-4 Daniel Klose, Karel Sedlacek 6-4 James Hurrell, Scott Waites 6-4 Brendan Dolan, Kevin Doets 6-0 Gabriel Clemens. Quarter-Finals - Wessel Nijman 6-2 Beau Greaves, Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Joe Hunt, Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Chris Dobey, Scott Waites 6-4 Kevin Doets. Semi-Finals - Wessel Nijman 7-4 Luke Woodhouse, Scott Waites 7-5 Karel Sedlacek. Final - Wessel Nijman 8-2 Scott Waites. The Premier League Darts will see Luke Humphries defending his title, with action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.