Chris Dobey secured his 10th Players Championship title with an 8-4 victory over Justin Hood in the final, producing a superb 105 average in a high-quality contest. The Bedlington star's consistency and clinical finishing proved decisive, though he was pushed throughout by Hood, who showed flashes of brilliance, particularly on the bullseye.
"It was ridiculous to watch," Dobey admitted afterwards. "To be honest, it's what I expected from him. That game at the Worlds, I think he was, what, 11 from 11, and when the first two bulls went in, it was like, 'Not again.' But he put up a good fight. I was sick of his bullseyes! Great shots at crucial times as well, but I'm delighted with another win. I played some good stuff all day." A key moment came after the pair shared the opening four legs, when Hood missed a chance to move ahead after busting 68, allowing Dobey to capitalise and edge in front. "It was massive, yeah," Dobey said. "They're the kind of shots you need to take because he's a fantastic player."
Dobey acknowledged the enjoyment of being involved in such quality matches, stating, "Yeah, of course, and this is what I come for. Not being in the Premier League this year, I want to play in everything." He added, "I missed Munich the other week, took the kids away for Easter weekend, and I'll be doing everything throughout the rest of the year and hopefully keep picking these titles up." With another title added to his collection and £15,000 in prize money secured, Dobey was already looking ahead, joking about the evening ahead: "Definitely," he smiled when asked about returning for the next event. "And I'm not paying for the food tonight, lads, that's for sure!"
Reaching double figures in Players Championship titles is a significant milestone, but Dobey remains focused on adding more silverware, particularly on the big stage. "It's hard just to win one. I think it took me a while to win my first one, and now I've proved I can do it time and time again," he said. "But it's a great feeling just to win one, never mind ten. I just want to start doing it on TV again and picking up European Tour titles. I know I can do it on the floor, it's just about being consistent." He believes consistency is the key difference between success on the ProTour and televised events, noting, "To be honest, I have produced those kinds of darts on TV, it's just how they go on the day."
Now firmly established as one of the most dangerous players on the ProTour, Dobey highlighted the role of confidence in these events. "I think anybody can win these. You've seen over the last 18 months, anybody can pick these up. It's about having a good day," he explained. "Once a few of the big names get knocked out early, everybody believes in themselves. I come in believing I can win every single one of these, it's just all about being good on the day. And today was my day." With momentum on his side, Dobey will head into the next Players Championship event full of confidence as he looks to continue his excellent run of form.
