Sedlacek wins first PDC Pro Tour title at Players Championship 3
Karel Sedlacek became the first player from the Czech Republic to win a PDC Pro Tour title, after he beat Scott Williams in the final of the Players Championship 30; watch the World Grand Prix from September 28, live on Sky Sports
Karel Sedlacek secured his first PDC Pro Tour title at Players Championship 30, beating Scott Williams 8-7 despite a late scare as he closed in on victory.
It was a thrilling encounter, with Sedlacek outlasting Williams' barrage of high scores, which included nine maximums, but both players struggled to close out the victory, with the Czech missing five match darts.
Sedlacek would ultimately claim victory, becoming the first Czech player to win a PDC tour title. But after mounting an epic comeback, winning two of the final three legs, Williams cut a furious figure after the match, shaking hands with his opponent and the officials before throwing his darts onto the ground.
SEDLACEK WINS HIS FIRST TITLE 🤩 On his EIGHTH match dart and after a dramatic last-leg shootout, Karel Sedlacek defeats Scott Williams 8-7 to win Players Championship 30! 🇨🇿 📺 https://t.co/Dogi6ykEH5 #PC30 pic.twitter.com/EwMi0XDRuT
Sedlacek would go 7-5 up before nerves set in, with the 47-year-old needing to check out on 24 to win, before missing a trio of match darts, allowing Williams to pull back a leg.
The momentum turned to Williams, who hit two 140s in the resulting leg, before he pulled the contest back to 7-7.
In the deciding leg, it looked as though the Englishman was set to produce a remarkable comeback victory, hitting a maximum to leave himself 112 to win the match, but he too stumbled, hitting five on his second dart when a single 20 would have double 16.
Williams shook his head and exclaimed, 'you're kidding me', before hitting 15 with his final dart.
It left Sedlacek the chance to check out from 32, first missing double 16 inside, subsequently missing double eight, before he finally sealed the match.
Sedlacek, who hit a match-high checkout of 164 in the ninth leg, finished the final with a checkout success of 34.8 per cent, while Williams ended with 36.8 per cent.
And now Karel Sedlacek's hit a huge 164 to lead! 🔥 📺 https://t.co/Dogi6ykEH5 #PC30 pic.twitter.com/vzlHqoFoBR
"It's a really special achievement," Sedlacek told PDC TV . "I've been waiting for this for nearly 10 years, and now it is a reality.
Sedlacek, who lauded his opponent Williams as a "good player" after the match, booked his spot in the final by beating some top opponents, including Damon Heta in the round of 32, Nathan Aspinall in the last 16 and Chris Dobey in the quarter-final, before besting Niels Zonneveld 7-2 in the semi-finals.
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