The brand-new shiny Poland Darts Open trophy will not be making a German pilgrimage, after the nation’s lone surviving emissary, Martin Schindler, was unceremoniously removed by Boris Krcmar in the curtain raiser of Saturday afternoon’s session.
With Niko Springer and Marvin Kraft already dispatched, the burly Croatian delivered a performance of muscular assurance to outmanoeuvre The Wall, who had been pursuing a fourth Euro Tour coronation. For Krcmar, the landscape shifts intriguingly into unexplored territory. The Zagreb thrower now awaits the victor of Krzysztof Ratajski and Luke Humphries, who convene later under the evening lights.
Connor Scutt’s renaissance encountered a rather unforgiving reality check as Chris Dobey administered a clinical whitewash. The Geordie operated with remorseless efficiency, affording The Sniper neither rhythm nor respite. Shortly thereafter, Dobey’s Target stablemate Nathan Aspinall joined him in the last 16 courtesy of a hard-earned triumph over Daryl Pilgrim. In fairness to the Croydon contender, a ton plus average and a commendable 50 per cent checkout rate would ordinarily suffice. The complication was scarcity of opportunity. Aspinall advances and now monitors proceedings between Gian van Veen and Andrew Gilding.
The all Dutch skirmish between Danny Noppert and Jermaine Wattimena possessed the unmistakable aroma of a distance affair. It duly delivered. The Machine Gun clung to survival, deflecting match darts in the deciding leg before rupturing his compatriot’s throw to snatch victory in dramatic fashion. His reward is a rendezvous with the winner of Stephen Bunting versus Niels Zonneveld.
Rising star, Wessel Nijman’s personal dossier against Gary Anderson already made for enviable reading, four wins from four against the former double World Champion. That superiority has now been reinforced. The Uitgeest man extended the sequence to five with a scintillating 103.45 average, a display of such fluency that even Anderson’s pedigree could not destabilise it. Nijman’s campaign gathers considerable propulsion.
He was not left waiting long to identify his next adversary. In the subsequent fixture, Cameron Menzies produced a commanding dismantling of James Wade. It is a rarity bordering on the surreal to witness The Machine depart without troubling the scoreboard, yet the decorated Aldershot veteran appeared conspicuously below par. Menzies, by contrast, was brisk and unencumbered, chalking up his fifth success in six recent meetings with Wade and reinforcing the suspicion that he possesses a rather inconvenient mastery over established royalty.
The penultimate encounter featured a duel between two PDC major champions. Ross Smith arrested a creeping slump with a composed and authoritative victory over Daryl Gurney. The Northern Irishman had prevailed in each of their previous three clashes, yet this time Smudger recalibrated the narrative, compiling a handsome three figure average to settle matters convincingly. Should Mike De Decker fail to unseat Luke Littler later this evening, Smith will find himself confronting the reigning World Champion on Sunday.
Concluding the afternoon instalment, Cristo Reyes dismantled Ryan Searle in assertive fashion. The Spaniard’s renaissance continues to gather credibility following a six-year absence from the Pro Tour. Once more he exhibited composure and conviction to outplay Heavy Metal. The Tenerife marksman must now exercise patience before discovering whether Josh Rock or William O’Connor will constitute his next examination.
Round two pauses at its midpoint, the drama poised delicately for what promises to be an absorbing evening resumption.
Round Two Results
Afternoon Session (12pm GMT)
Martin Schindler 4-2 Boris Krcmar
Chris Dobey 6-0 Connor Scutt
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Darryl Pilgrim
Danny Noppert 5-6 Jermaine Wattimena
Gary Anderson 2-6 Wessel Nijman
James Wade 0-6 Cameron Menzies
Ross Smith 6-1 Daryl Gurney
Ryan Searle 2-6 Cristo Reyes
Evening Session (6pm GMT)
Josh Rock v William O’Connor
Jonny Clayton v Adam Gawlas
Michael Smith v Joe Cullen
Luke Littler v Mike De Decker
Callan Rydz v Luke Woodhouse
Luke Humphries v Krzysztof Ratajski
Stephen Bunting v Niels Zonneveld
Gian van Veen v Andrew Gilding
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
