MVG Wins Dutch Derby at European darts Grand Prix

Dutch darting titan Michael van Gerwen remains the sole former European Darts Grand Prix champion still standing, after narrowly edging past fellow countryman Jermaine Wattimena in a dramatic last-leg decider.

In truth, the all-Dutch encounter was curiously devoid of the relentless scoring ferocity typically associated with both players. With the opening ten legs shared, the contest inevitably hurtled towards sudden death. Stepping up to the oche with throw advantage, Wattimena appeared poised to seize control, yet spurned his opportunity at a pivotal moment, allowing van Gerwen – the man who should be affectionately dubbed Mr Euro Tour – to punish him with clinical precision on the wire.

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The Green Machine now finds himself embroiled in another tantalising Dutch derby, set to face Wessel Nijman later this evening after the Mission arrow-smith dispatched Stephen Bunting. Once again, the statistics suggested neither was operating at full throttle, yet Nijman advanced with authority. Rankings and reputations aside, the younger Dutchman could justifiably be installed as favourite given his scintillating start to the season. That said, writing off MVG – a man boasting a scarcely believable haul of 38 Euro Tour titles – has historically proven a fool’s errand.

Much to the disappointment of the Glaspalast Sindelfingen faithful, their hopes of a homegrown champion suffered an early dent as Danny Noppert overcame Niko Springer. It was a typically composed and methodical display from The Freeze, who posted an average just shy of the ton while exhibiting ruthless efficiency on the outer ring. For Meenzur Bub, it was a somewhat underwhelming showing by his own standards, but Noppie, unmoved by sentiment, marches confidently into a quarter-final meeting with Krzysztof Ratajski.

The Polish Eagle, fresh from a semi-final run on German soil during his previous Euro Tour outing, continued his assured progression with a solid victory over Joe Cullen. That triumph now affords Ratajski the opportunity to at least replicate that achievement as he prepares to face Noppert later this evening.

Alongside the Dutch showdown, there was an equally mouth-watering all-English, with Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith colliding. The standout contest of the session undoubtedly belonged to The Asp’s victory over James Wade, with both players producing averages comfortably north of the ton. Wade’s exceptional 103 would ordinarily command attention, yet it was eclipsed by the Mancunian, who operated at an even more elevated level – three points to be exact.

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Smith, meanwhile, was dragged into a fierce and uncompromising battle with Josh Rock. While neither player breached the three-figure average barrier, the contest was punctuated by a flurry of maximums – nine in total, with the Northern Irishman edging that particular metric. Ultimately, however, legs are the only currency that matters. Even after Rocky clawed his way back from 5-3 down to force a decider, Smudger delivered the decisive blow, breaking throw at the death to snatch victory and, in the process, Rock’s resolve.

German aspirations of a maiden home winner of this tournament received a significant boost soon after, as their World Cup captain Martin Schindler surged past Premier League leader Jonny Clayton in emphatic fashion. Any lingering disappointment from Springer’s earlier exit was swiftly extinguished by an imperious ton-plus performance from The Wall. While Schindler’s capability renders any victory far from shocking, the mammoth 6-1 scoreline perhaps raised a few eyebrows.

There will, however, be Welsh representation in the latter stages, courtesy of Gerwyn Price, who produced a blistering display to narrowly overcome Chris Dobey. Both players have already secured Players Championship titles this season – a fact reflected in the contest’s exceptional quality – though neither has yet claimed Euro Tour silverware in 2026, with Dobey still chasing that elusive maiden career triumph.

In the end, it was another majestic exhibition from The Iceman, who withstood a spirited late surge from the Newcastle thrower. Leading 5-2, Price appeared to be cruising towards a routine victory before Dobey mounted a spirited comeback, threatening to force a decider. Crucially, that opportunity slipped away, and Price, learning from earlier profligacy, made no mistake when it mattered most, coolly pinning tops to secure his place in the quarter-finals.

After an enthralling and richly entertaining weekend, the field has now been distilled to eight competitors representing five different nations. Among them are players chasing a maiden Euro Tour crown, others seeking to augment their growing collections, and one familiar Dutch juggernaut – a perennial conqueror on continental stages – aiming to etch his name into the Sindelfingen story once more by completing a memorable hat-trick of triumphs.