Nathan Aspinall made a sensational return to PDC action on Tuesday, opening Players Championship 27 in Leicester with a nine-dart finish in the very first leg of his match against Thibault Tricole. The Englishman, who had not played an official match for over a month, needed just three visits to the oche to complete the perfect leg, starting with back-to-back 180s before clearing 141 in three darts.
Aspinall's last appearance had been on 21.07.2026, when he was knocked out in the second round of the World Matchplay in Blackpool by Luke Littler. On his first outing since that defeat, he struck immediately, setting the tone for a convincing 6-1 victory over Tricole, who had few answers to the unleashed Englishman.
The nine-darter is the eighth recorded at Players Championship tournaments for the 35-year-old, who previously hit one in October 2025 against Ian White during Players Championship 33. That month he was in sublime touch, having also managed two nine-darters on the same day at Players Championship 31, first against Steve Lennon and then against Lukas Wenig.
Fans and pundits alike were quick to celebrate the feat, with Live Darts sharing a clip on social media captioned: "Nathan Aspinall fires in a nine-dart finish in the opening leg en route to a 6-1 rout of France's Thibault Tricole!"
