The Players Championship 14: Wessel Nijmann emulates Michael van Gerwen in fifth tour

Wessel Nijman emulated fellow Dutchman Michael van Gerwen as he continued his fine form at the Players Championship with his 14th tournament win of the year.

The 25-year-old beat Max Hoppe 8-1 in the one-sided final in Hildesheim, Germany.

It ensured that Nijman became the first to win five Players Championship titles in one year since fellow Dutchman van Gerwen achieved the feat in 2016.

“I don’t really care about the record, I care more about the form I’m playing now,” he told the PDC website.

“I just want to be in the top 16 and get as close to number one as possible at the end of the year.”

A number of the sport’s top players – including Luke Littler and Luke Humphries – skipped the event.

Van Gerwen was beaten 6-4 by Austria’s Mensur Suljovic in the third round, while two-time world champion Gary Anderson lost 6-5 to Lewis Pride in the first round.

There are 34 Players Championship events throughout the year, including the tournament finals held at Minehead in November.