Ryan Searle Triumphs at Players Championship 28, Luke Humphries Exits Early

Ryan Searle celebrated a significant victory at Players Championship 28, securing his second title of 2025. In the final match held at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, Searle triumphed over Mario Vandenbogaerde with a score of 8-6.

Final Match Highlights

The 37-year-old Searle came from behind, recovering from a 6-5 deficit to clinch the win. This victory marks the seventh ranking title of Searle’s career, elevating him ahead of the upcoming BoyleSports World Grand Prix.

Path to Victory

Searle had a strong start in the tournament, defeating European Champion Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 in the first round. He followed this with another decisive victory, beating Jamai van Den Herik 6-2.

In a thrilling third round, Searle edged past Nathan Aspinall in a last-leg decider. He continued his solid performance, winning against Karel Sedlacek and Darren Beveridge to reach the semi-finals. In the semi, he produced a stunning comeback, winning four consecutive legs to defeat Kevin Doets 7-4.

Notable Exits

Unfortunately for fans, top players faced early exits. Luke Humphries and Josh Rock both exited in the first round. In a surprising result, Stephen Bunting, the top seed, fell to Jermaine Wattimena in the last 16 with a resounding 6-0 defeat.

Significant Matches of Players Championship 28

• Last 16 Results:
  • Jermaine Wattimena 6 – 0 Stephen Bunting
  • Mario Vandenbogaerde 6 – 5 Ross Smith
  • Michele Turetta 6 – 3 Richard Veenstra
  • Brendan Dolan 6 – 5 Cameron Menzies
  • Kevin Doets 6 – 2 Callan Rydz
  • Jonny Clayton 6 – 3 Wessel Nijman
  • Ryan Searle 6 – 5 Karel Sedlacek
  • Darren Beveridge 6 – 3 Gian van Veen
• Quarter-Finals:
  • Mario Vandenbogaerde 6 – 5 Jermaine Wattimena
  • Brendan Dolan 6 – 2 Michele Turetta
  • Kevin Doets 6 – 4 Jonny Clayton
  • Ryan Searle 6 – 4 Darren Beveridge
• Semi-Finals:
  • Mario Vandenbogaerde 7 – 3 Brendan Dolan
  • Ryan Searle 7 – 4 Kevin Doets
• Final:
  • Ryan Searle 8 – 6 Mario Vandenbogaerde

Looking Ahead

The next major event is the BoyleSports World Grand Prix, set to take place from October 6-12 at the same venue. This tournament will feature 32 top players from around the globe, including Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries.

With his recent performance, Searle aims to continue his success in this prestigious competition. Players and fans eagerly anticipate the thrilling matches to come.