Noppert trailed 3-6, but then took five legs in a row to take the win. The Dutchman came to an average of almost 97 in the final. His finish percentage was 44.4 percent.
Noppert, already winner of the UK Open this year, reached the semi-finals thanks to a 6-1 victory over Rowby-John Rodriguez from Austria. In the semi-final, Noppert showed his class again. The Freeze convincingly took the victory against the Englishman Luke Humphries (twelfth in the world ranking): 7-3. A little later Gilding had to believe it too. It was Noppert’s third title at the PDC, after the UK Open this year and a Players Championship tournament in 2018.
Raymond van Barneveld was eliminated in the eighth finals. Barney won three games in Barnsley, but then lost to the Englishman Lee Evans, the number 112 in the world: 2-6. Danny Noppert can throw for the title.
Five-time world champion Van Barneveld is 56th in the world ranking. On Thursday, the Dutchman qualified for two PDC Euro Tour tournaments: the Hungarian Darts Trophy (2-4 September) and the German Darts Open (9-11 September).
Niels Zonneveld was stranded in the quarterfinals (4-6 against Ryan Searle) of Players Championship 19. Yesterday Dirk van Duijvenbode was the best at Players Championship 18. Aubergenius beat the German Gabriel Clemens 8-0 in the final and hit the following PDC floor tournament in Barnsley over. Michael van Gerwen was also missing. Mighty Mike took a rest to further recover from surgery on his throwing arm.
Quarter-finals
Rowby John Rodriguez – Danny Noppert 1-6
Niels Zonneveld – Ryan Searle 4-6
Lee Evans – Andrew Gilding 1-6
Luke Humphries – Jamie Hughes 6-3
Semi-finals
Luke Humphries – Danny Noppert 3-7
Ryan Searle – Andrew Gilding 6-7
Final
Danny Noppert – Andrew Gilding 8-6