Nathan Aspinall collapsed to the floor and struggled to contain his emotions after clinching his maiden PDC European Tour title.
The 33-year-old beat Ryan Joyce 8-4 in the European Darts Trophy final on Sunday night to cap what had been a stunning day in Gottingen, Germany.
Having beaten Ritchie Edhouse in a deciding leg in the second round on Saturday, Aspinall returned to the oche on Sunday where he reeled off victories over Jermaine Wattimena, Luke Humphries and Gary Anderson en route to the final.
His wins over Wattimena and Anderson also went to the wire, while he needed a stunning 170 checkout against the latter to force a single-leg shootout.
He then made no mistake in the final leg against the Scotsman to book his first PDC Europe final since losing at the German Darts Grand Prix in 2023.
And he proved to be a class above Joyce as he scooped his first Euro Tour title – ten years after his first event at the Dutch Darts Masters in 2015.
Following a 72 checkout, Aspinall fell to his knees in relief and jubilation after pocketing the £30,000 jackpot, before looking visibly emotional during his trophy presentation.
Appearing to fight back the tears in his post-match interview, Aspinall opened up on his battle with dartisis and ending his two-year trophy drought.
The two-time major winner said: “It’s only took ten years!
“I had some unbelievable games, that 170 against Gary was something else.
“When I went off after beating Gary my hands were shaking, I only had fifteen minutes to prepare.
“Ryan is a great guy and a top player, and it was great to share the stage with him in the final.
“But for me personally, can I swear? It’s been a s*** few years for me. This is what I needed, it was a big win.
“It makes me believe in myself that I’m still good enough to compete with these boys.
“Because of the situation I’ve been in over the last few years with the injuries and the dartitis, this is probably my proudest moment.
“The crowd were unbelievable. The support I got was amazing. This honestly means so much to me.
“Roll on [Michael] van Gerwen on Thursday night [in the Premier League].”
Sending a message to the 4,000 German supporters in attendance, Aspinall then remarked: “Honestly, final word for this crowd, you guys are unbelievable and if anyone wants to buy me a pint at the bar, I’ll see you later.”
As for Joyce, who was making his first PDC European Tour final, he had nothing but respect for his opponent as he showcased his classy sportsmanship.
He told PDC TV: “I’m over the moon to get to my first European Tour final.
“I have really enjoyed this weekend, and hopefully this is just the start for me and I can make many more finals.
“I was just outclassed in the final, so fair play to Nathan.
“He’s a terrific player and he completely outscored me tonight.”
