CLASSY CULLEN WINS PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FIVE
11/03/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Aaron Nijjar
JOE CULLEN beat Gian van Veen 8-7 to win the Players Championship Five in Leicester.
‘Rockstar’ launched an incredible fightback from 7-4 down to deny the Dutchman a maiden PDC title.
Van Veen squandered SIX match darts to beat Cullen.
World No. 23 Cullen averaged a remarkable 104.18 and was clinical on his doubles hitting eight out of eleven to secure a fourth consecutive victory over ‘The Giant’.
The Bradford thrower won his first title since 2022.
Cullen believed the tournament win was the most important of his career.
He said: “I’m lost for words to be honest. I’ve got the experience of winning and I know how hard it is to get that leg and get over the line. That stuck in my mind at 7-4 down.
“I felt like I did all the running early doors. Then Gian started to find his groove.
“This is a big, big, big win for me. I’ve won plenty of titles in my career but I think this is up there with the best one.
“When you are slipping down the rankings and doubting yourself, there’s nothing worse.
“I think this is the best win of my career. Just because of the way last year went. Just because of the adversity that I’ve had to endure.”
On his route to the final, Cullen beat World No.1 Luke Humphries in round three.
He then dispatched Christian Kist 6-2 in round four and Kevin Doets 6-3 in the quarter-final.
The 35-year-old triumphed 7-5 against the World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker in the semi-final averaging a stellar 100.60 and hitting a 116 checkout against the Belgian.
Meanwhile, Luke Littler’s 19-match winning streak came to an end through defeat to Van Veen, who capitalised on a missed match dart from the World champion to deny him a place in the final.
World Youth Champion Van Veen also defeated Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals, but Littler’s average of 122.96 in his last-eight clash with Damon Heta will deservedly make the headlines.
Having dropped the opening leg, the teen sensation ruthlessly reeled off six successive legs between 11 and 13 darts to post one of the best averages in the history of the PDC.
‘The Nuke’ looked in invincible form at the Mattioli Arena after he also hit a nine-darter against Adam Hunt in round three.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
