If Saturday afternoons were designed for drama, this one delivered it by the tungsten-load. The European Championship continued in Dortmund with a session that had everything – big averages, missed doubles, a big fish, and the kind of wizardry that would make Hogwarts proud.
Four players booked their spots in the quarter-finals, and a few others booked early flights home:
Ryan Searle 2–10 Gian van Veen
It’s hard to keep using the phrase “destined for greatness” when Gian van Veen keeps proving he’s already there. The Dutch Harry Potter produced another spellbinding display to blast his way into the last eight – and on this form, it feels like it’s only a matter of hours before he’s holding a major trophy.
Ryan Searle, usually as solid as his nickname Heavy Metal suggests, looked more like light alloy this time around. Even on his best day, he’d have struggled to match a Van Veen who averaged just shy of 110, hit seven maximums, landed two-thirds of his doubles, and threw in a Big Fish checkout for good measure.
It was ruthless, clinical, and scarily good – the sort of performance that makes that elusive maiden major look ominous.
Daryl Gurney 10–6 Ross Smith
Once upon a time, this stage was a happy hunting ground for Ross Smith – but not today. The 2022 champion endured a finishing nightmare against a rejuvenated Daryl Gurney, who roared out to a 4–0 lead and never really looked back.
Smudger rallied with some classy scoring, but the doubles deserted him at crucial times. Superchin, meanwhile, mixed power scoring with composure, sealing victory and reminding everyone why he’s a two-time major winner.
He’ll need more gears in the next round, but this was a strong statement that the Northern Irishman is still very much in the mix.
Martin Schindler 7–10 Ryan Joyce
The German crowd didn’t get the fairy-tale they wanted as Ryan Joyce gatecrashed the party, taking out local favourite Martin Schindler to reach the quarter-finals. It’s the latest step in a quietly impressive year for Relentless, whose only real weakness over the years has been a fear of flying – not accuracy.
Schindler’s downfall was the same old story: missed doubles. Joyce, cool as you like, pounced on every opening, needing barely half as many chances to get the job done. Efficient, tidy, and typically relentless, the Geordie now moves on to face Van Veen – a clash that promises fireworks.
Chris Dobey 5–10 Michael van Gerwen
Trying to predict which version of Michael van Gerwen will turn up these days is a mug’s game. Unfortunately for Chris Dobey, this was the devastatingly good one. The Dutch titan smashed in a ton-plus average, bossed the big moments, and cruised into a quarter-final showdown with Daryl Gurney.
Hollywood’s scoring was actually right up there – in fact, he edged those stats as well as posting the higher average – but in what appeared to be a theme of the day, missed doubles cost him dearly.
Against MVG in this mood, that’s darting suicide. For the four-time European Champion, this was a reminder that he still has plenty of tungsten left in the tank.
Aside from Van Gerwen, only James Wade remains as a previous winner still standing. Four matches down, four more to go before Sunday afternoon’s quarter-final line-up is locked in – and if the rest of the weekend matches this session for entertainment, we’re in for a blockbuster finish in Dortmund.
—–Ends—–
Images: Simon O Connor / PDC
