As quick as a Ricky Evans maximum, the final day of the 2025 European Darts Open arrived – and after an explosive afternoon of tungsten-fuelled drama, it’s all to play for under the Leverkusen lights this evening.
Here’s your full rundown of Sunday’s early session fireworks.
JAMES WADE 3-6 MATT CAMPBELL
In what looked like a Specsavers advert for elite bearded dart players, it was the ginger one who came out on top – and now Matt Campbell has his sights firmly set on a maiden Euro Tour quarter-final. Both players impressed in the scoring stakes, but true to the weekend’s emerging narrative of Campbell quietly cursing his opponents’ outer ring precision, it was Wade’s misfires on the doubles that proved fatal.
The North American came flying out of the gates, racing into a 4-1 lead before The Machine finally got motoring and trimmed the deficit to a single leg. But that was as close as he got to the Ginger Ninja’s bumper, as Campbell calmly wrapped it up with a cheeky double-double finish to seal the win with a grin.
DAMON HETA 6-4 ANDREAS HARRYSSON
Aussie number one Damon Heta booked a clash with his Canadian counterpart Matt Campbell after edging past the ever-dangerous Dirty Harrysson in a gruelling battle of grit and guile. With his flowing beard, the Swede looked every bit like a member of a Scandinavian ZZ Top tribute act, but behind the rockstar appearance was a player full of class.
Winning the bullseye looked like it might be crucial for Heta, with the opening nine legs all going with throw. Eventually, the former Gibraltar Darts Trophy champion decided he’d had enough of the ping-pong pattern, dug deep, and produced a superb break of throw – the only one of a tense, high-quality encounter.
Heta marches on and, in doing so, denies the gutsy Swede from becoming the first player from his nation to reach a Euro Tour quarter-final in nearly a decade.
CAMERON MENZIES 6-3 RITCHIE EDHOUSE
The ever-improving Scot will make just his third Euro Tour appearance after a classy display saw him overcome reigning European Champion Ritchie Edhouse. It was a performance of Swiss timepiece-like precision and timing from Menzies – right up until the final leg, when the batteries appeared to run flat and it took him eight darts to finally pin the winning double.
Menzies even emulated fellow ginger chucker Matt Campbell with a rare double 17, double 20 combination to polish off a checkout in style. With five maximums on the board and a sharp outer ring success rate (last-minute wobble aside), if Cammie can reproduce this form later tonight, he’ll be knocking loudly on the door of a maiden continental crown.
JONNY CLAYTON 6-0 MIKE DE DECKER
In the battle of the Welsh and Belgian World Cup skippers, it was the former who marched into this evening’s quarter-finals, setting up a tasty clash with Menzies. The bookies probably had this one down as a tight affair – but what we got was a duet where Jonny was perfectly in tune and Mike hit all the wrong notes.
Wales has seen this trophy lifted before, though not by Clayton – it was his good friend Gezzy Price who did the honours. Now Jonny has his sights set on going back-to-back on the Euro Tour and adding his own name to the roll of honour.
NATHAN ASPINALL 6-3 RICARDO PIETRECZKO
Sole participant from the recent Premier League finals night, Nathan Aspinall cruised into the last eight with a commanding second-half display to end hopes of home nation representation in the final session.
It wasn’t the sharpest of starts from The Asp – five missed doubles in leg one and a stray score of 7 had alarm bells ringing early on. But once he got his skates on, there was no stopping him. True to form, battling Pikachu never threw in the towel, but Aspinall’s class told in the end. The two-time PDC major champ found his scoring rhythm, tightened up on the outer ring, and reeled off five of the last six legs to book a seat at the table this evening.
CHRIS DOBEY 6-3 ANDREW GILDING
Pulsating stuff from Hollywood, who averaged just over 110 and threw in a flurry of ton-plus checkouts for good measure. Poor Gilding hardly put a foot wrong, but once the Geordie landed a monster big fish finish in leg one, the warning signs were flashing – and they never stopped.
In stark contrast to yesterday’s drama-filled duel with Springer, the Newcastle chucker had his doubles dialled in and looked ice-cold throughout. The victory sets up a mouth-watering clash later tonight with stablemate and close friend Nathan Aspinall. If both turn up, expect fireworks, booming checkouts, and maximums galore.
PETER WRIGHT 4-6 WESSEL NIJMAN
For the second consecutive Euro Tour event, the Dutchman had Snakey’s number – and his win means we’re guaranteed a new name on the European Darts Open trophy tonight. Nijman flew out of the gates, storming into a 3-0 lead.
While a kid in a Batman costume cheering on Snakebite was clearly testing the patience of the commentary box, it was Wright’s own choice of opening darts that seemed to be irritating him most. So, in true Snakey style, he switched them out, briefly leapfrogged into the lead, then switched again – and that was the moment Nijman seized his chance, pouncing with precision and never looking back.
Having now dispatched Scotland’s decorated World Cup duo of Ando and Snakey in back-to-back rounds, Wes might want to hold off on booking a scenic break in the Highlands anytime soon.
STEPHEN BUNTING 6-5 DARYL GURNEY
And a thrilling session came to a close with top seed Stephen Bunting recording his sixth straight win over one of yesterday’s standout performers, Daryl Gurney. The Bullet found himself trailing by a couple of legs early on as Superchin looked set to pick up right where he left off. But the Scouser dug in, clawed his way back, and levelled things up at 4-4. Gurney responded by taking advantage of some wayward doubling to edge back in front.
From there, it looked like Gurney might sneak it – but Bunting broke straight back, then held his nerve and sealed the decider in emphatic style to book his quarter-final spot. Rising Dutch star Nijman awaits.
At the start of play, Snakebite stood alone as the only former champion still in the hunt – the last man standing from the six players to have lifted this particular Euro Tour trophy, which dates all the way back to the birth of the tour itself in 2012. But with Wright now out of the running, one thing is certain: a brand-new name will be etched on the trophy tonight.
Quarter-Final Line Up (6pm BST)
Matt Campbell v Damon Heta
Cameron Menzies v Jonny Clayton
Nathan Aspinall v Chris Dobey
Wessel Nijman v Stephen Bunting
—–ENDS—–
Images: Dejan Romic/PDC Europe
