Nathan Aspinall currently holds the 23rd position in the world rankings.
Nathan Aspinall achieved two nine-dart finishes during Players Championship 31, but ultimately fell short in the final, while Luke Littler experienced an early exit.
Aspinall, 34, showcased remarkable skill with perfect legs in a 6-4 victory against Steve Lennon of Ireland in the second round, and replicated the feat in a 6-5 win over Germany’s Lukas Wenig in the round of 16.
The Englishman, Aspinall, initially took a 2-0 lead against Jermaine Wattimena of the Netherlands in the final held in Wigan.
However, Wattimena responded emphatically, stringing together eight consecutive legs to secure a decisive victory over Aspinall and claim his second ranking title of the season.
Luke Littler, following a semi-final defeat by Beau Greaves in the World Youth Championship on Monday, was eliminated in the first round, losing 6-4 to fellow Englishman Ritchie Edhouse.
The 18-year-old world champion is currently ranked 67th in the Players Championship standings, external and has three remaining events to secure a place in the top 64 to qualify for the finals.
Michael van Gerwen also faces the possibility of not qualifying after being knocked out in the same stage with a 6-4 loss to Dom Taylor.
The Dutch player currently sits at 92nd in the standings and needs to reach the final in Players Championship 32 on Wednesday to guarantee qualification, as he will be absent from the final two events due to a pre-arranged holiday.
A total of 34 Players Championship events are held throughout the year, with the competition’s finals scheduled to take place in Minehead from 21-23 November.
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Quarter-finals
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Wessel Nijman
Nathan Aspinall 6-5 James Wade
Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Joe Hunt
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Chris Landman
Semi-finals
Nathan Aspinall 7-3 Stephen Bunting
Jermaine Wattimena 7-0 Niels Zonneveld
Final
Jermaine Wattimena 8-2 Nathan Aspinall