Nathan Aspinall produced two perfect nine-dart finishes at the Players Championship 31 in Wigan, but ultimately fell short in the final, while Luke Littler suffered an early exit.

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Aspinall’s Perfect Legs

The 34-year-old Englishman, currently ranked 23rd in the world, threw his first nine-darter in a 6-4 second-round win over Steve Lennon. He then repeated the feat in the last 16, edging Germany’s Lukas Wenig 6-5 with another flawless leg.

Aspinall reached the final after a 7-3 semi-final victory over Stephen Bunting, and had taken a 2-0 lead against the Netherlands’ Jermaine Wattimena. However, Wattimena then won eight consecutive legs to claim an 8-2 victory, sealing his second ranking title of the season.

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Littler and Van Gerwen Face Setbacks

Luke Littler, who lost in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship to Beau Greaves just days earlier, was eliminated in the first round by fellow Englishman Ritchie Edhouse 6-4. At 18, Littler is currently 67th in the Players Championship standings with three events remaining to secure a top-64 finish for the season finals.

Dutch superstar Michael van Gerwen is also under pressure after a first-round loss to Dom Taylor 6-4. The world number 92 must reach the final in Players Championship 32 to qualify, as he will miss the last two events due to a pre-booked holiday.

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Players Championship 31 Results

Quarter-finals:

• Stephen Bunting 6-4 Wessel Nijman
• Nathan Aspinall 6-5 James Wade
• Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Joe Hunt
• Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Chris Landman

Semi-finals:

• Nathan Aspinall 7-3 Stephen Bunting
• Jermaine Wattimena 7-0 Niels Zonneveld

Final:

• Jermaine Wattimena 8-2 Nathan Aspinall

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Key Takeaways

• Nathan Aspinall hit two nine-darters but lost 8-2 in the final.
• Jermaine Wattimena claimed his second ranking title of the season.
• Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen face pressure to qualify for the Players Championship finals in Minehead from 21-23 November.
• Aspinall’s perfect legs underline his status as one of the most in-form players on the PDC circuit.