Ross Smith’s next ProTour check-point has landed at exactly the wrong time for the rest of the World Matchplay race.
The PDPA calendar lists the entry deadline for Players Championships 23-24 in Leicester at 2pm GMT on Monday 29 June, with the double-header staged at Mattioli Arena on 6-7 July. The venue listing confirms a 128-player field, drawn from Tour Card holders and Challenge Tour Associate Member qualifiers, with coverage on PDCTV.
That matters because the PDC framed the Leicester block as a decisive stop: after the Slovak Darts Open, it stated the ProTour resumes with PC23-24 in “a crucial two days of darts”, with the World Matchplay field finalised after Event 24.
Smith brings harder evidence than most
Smith is not arriving on reputation alone. His Players Championship 20 win in Milton Keynes was his tenth PDC ranking title, sealed 8-5 against William O’Connor, and Sky Sports recorded a 107.01 average with 73 per cent on doubles in that final.
For a race that rewards floor sharpness, those numbers carry more weight than vague form talk. Smith has already banked the sort of ProTour statement that can turn a seeding scramble into a warning shot.
NineDartNews has already tracked the Leicester pressure around Rob Cross’ ProTour momentum. Smith now adds a different edge: less survival mode, more proof that his best floor game is already back in circulation.
