Van Veen Comes Through Baltic Sea Battle

Top seed, Gian van Veen and Ryan Joyce both demonstrated considerable fortitude under pressure on Saturday evening, surviving precarious second-round examinations to advance into the final day of competition at the Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel.

Van Veen’s passage proved particularly arduous. Returning to televised action following his quarter-final elimination at the International Darts Open in Riesa seven days earlier, the world number three appeared destined for an early departure when Dimitri Van den Bergh established a commanding 5-2 advantage.

However, the Dutchman orchestrated an impressive revival, reeling off four consecutive legs to complete a dramatic 6-5 victory and preserve his title aspirations. Reflecting on the encounter, Van Veen acknowledged the unusual nature of the contest and the mental resilience required to overturn such a significant deficit.

“Dimitri [Van den Bergh] scoring wise today wasn’t really up to par today, he finished really well and suddenly I was 5-2 down.

“Last week when I beat Kevin Doets, that’s where I felt most at ease on the stage in recent times.

“It’s been difficult the last couple of months, I need to work hard for it, but, I’m still here and winning games and that’s what it’s all about.”

GVV’s reward is a last-16 confrontation against Dave Chisnall, who overcame Joe Cullen 6-4 despite being on the receiving end of a spectacular 160 checkout from The Rockstar.

The second day of action at the MERKUR Ostseehalle also marked the entrance of the tournament’s seeded contingent, with several of the sport’s leading figures launching their campaigns in emphatic fashion as well as a host of notable absentees including the majority of this season’s Premier League protagonists.

Among the standout performers was ProTour Order of Merit leader Wessel Nijman, who exacted immediate revenge for his defeat to Krzysztof Ratajski in Riesa by producing a commanding display against the Polish number one. The 25-year-old secured a convincing 6-1 success, averaging in excess of 98 as he booked a highly anticipated meeting with International Darts Open runner-up Ryan Searle.

Nijman expressed considerable satisfaction with both his performance level and current mindset.

“I’ll take the 98 average, I’m feeling really confident and really relaxed to be honest.

“Sometimes you’ll have these days where you feel like everything is going to go your way and today was one of those days.”

Searle, meanwhile, continued the excellent form that propelled him deep into last week’s event. Despite Dirk van Duijvenbode dominating lengthy phases of the scoring exchanges and registering six maximums across ten legs, the Somerset thrower displayed superior efficiency at crucial moments to complete a 6-4 triumph.

Elsewhere, Ryan Joyce survived one of the most arduous assignments of the evening session, edging past home favourite Martin Schindler in a gripping deciding-leg encounter. The narrow victory propels Joyce into a meeting with another German representative, Niko Springer, who produced one of the performances of the day in dispatching reigning International Darts Open champion Ross Smith 6-2 with an average exceeding 102.

Kevin Doets’ pursuit of a maiden European Tour title also remains intact. The Dutchman spoiled Nathan Aspinall’s return to competitive action by recording a composed 6-3 victory over the former World Matchplay champion.

Awaiting him in the last 16 is Justin Hood, whose comprehensive 6-1 dismantling of Jermaine Wattimena was underpinned by an average fractionally below the three-figure mark.

Cameron Menzies continued his recent renaissance with another authoritative display. The Scotsman inflicted a 6-2 defeat upon Stephen Bunting, punctuating his performance with magnificent finishes of 107 and 148. Menzies will now face recently crowned ranking title winner Luke Woodhouse, who defeated Andrew Gilding by the same scoreline.

Jimmy van Schie’s memorable European Tour debut also extends into Finals Day following an emphatic 6-1 success against former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker. The Dutchman progresses to face Sebastian Bialecki, who delivered a superb performance to overcome Chris Dobey 6-3.

World Cup captains Damon Heta and William O’Connor also advanced and will now contest one of Sunday’s most intriguing ties following victories over Karel Sedlacek and Danny Noppert respectively.

Ricky Evans accelerated beyond Daryl Gurney to establish a last-16 encounter against James Wade, who continues his pursuit of a first European Tour title in more than a decade after defeating Niels Zonneveld 6-2.

With the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all scheduled for Sunday evening, the Baltic Sea Darts Open remains finely poised heading into its concluding stages.

2026 Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open

Saturday May 30

Round Two – Afternoon Session

Wessel Nijman 6-1 Krzysztof Ratajski

Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Andrew Gilding

Jimmy van Schie 6-1 Mike De Decker

Ricky Evans 6-3 Daryl Gurney

Damon Heta 6-4 Karel Sedlacek

Ryan Searle 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Dave Chisnall 6-4 Joe Cullen

Justin Hood 6-1 Jermaine Wattimena

Round Two – Evening Session