Chris Dobey continued his rich vein of form ahead of the World Grand Prix as he won Players Championship 25 in Wigan.
The 34-year-old Englishman proved unstoppable as he secured a third Players Championship title of the year.
Dobey knocked out Luke Littler 6-5 in the quarter-finals, then brushed aside semi-final opponent Daryl Gurney 7-1 to set up a meeting in the final with Stephen Bunting, who defeated last-eight opponent Connor Scutt 6-4 before seeing off Andrew Gilding 7-4.
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Michael Bridge and Laura Turner make their predictions for the 2024 World Grand Prix
Bunting was beaten by Wessel Nijman in the Players Championship 24 final on Tuesday, and he again had to be content with the runners-up spot as Dobey triumphed 8-3.
“Confidence is key,” Dobey, who faces Joe Cullen in the first round of the World Grand Prix live on Sky Sports, said.
“I have won a couple of Players Championships already before today, and I know where I am in the Players Championship standings.
“Once I saw I was in that No 1 spot, I set myself the target of being there at the end, and it has given me the motivation to get on the practice board and start performing like this on a regular basis.”
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Speaking on Love The Darts, Laura Turner and Michael Bridge look at Gary Anderson’s form ahead of his first-round match against Michael Smith at the World Grand Prix
The day before, Nijman won his first senior PDC title by beating Bunting 8-5 in the final of Players Championship 24.
The Dutchman averaged 99.63 in an 8-5 win, with his opponent hitting three figures at 101.11.
Nijman beat Gary Anderson 7-5 in his semi-final, the Scot having hit a nine-dart finish against Jamie Hughes and averaged over 100 across his six matches. Bunting ended the run of Littler in the semis.
BoyleSports World Grand Prix order of play
Monday October 7 (1800 BST)
8x First Round matches
Josh Rock vs Ryan Joyce
Brendan Dolan vs Martin Schindler
Jonny Clayton vs Ritchie Edhouse
Nathan Aspinall vs Ryan Searle
Raymond van Barneveld vs Ricardo Pietreczko
Luke Humphries vs Stephen Bunting
Rob Cross vs Luke Littler
Gian van Veen vs Ross Smith
Tuesday October 8 (1800 BST)
8x First Round matches
Dave Chisnall vs Cameron Menzies
Luke Woodhouse vs Dimitri Van den Bergh
Mike De Decker vs Damon Heta
Peter Wright vs James Wade
Gerwyn Price vs Danny Noppert
Michael Smith vs Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen vs Daryl Gurney
Chris Dobey vs Joe Cullen
Wednesday October 9 (1900 BST)
4x Second Round matches – order of games TBC
Humphries/Bunting vs Van Barneveld/Pietreczko
Clayton/Edhouse vs Van Veen/R Smith
Cross/Littler vs Dolan/Schindler
Aspinall/Searle vs Rock/Joyce
Thursday October 10 (1900 BST)
4x Second Round matches – order of games TBC
M Smith/Anderson vs De Decker/Heta
Price/Noppert vs Wright/Wade
Van Gerwen/Gurney vs Dobey/Cullen
Chisnall/Menzies vs Woodhouse/Van den Bergh
Friday October 11 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Saturday October 12 (2030 BST)
Semi-Finals
Sunday October 13 (2000 BST)
Final
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