The European Tour roared back into life under the lights of the MVM Dome as the Hungarian Darts Trophy got underway with a lively afternoon session full of clinical performances, a couple of genuine shocks, and the inevitable early exits for the home contingent.
Finnish qualifier Jonas Masalin provided the first real jolt of the day, dumping out the higher-ranked Kevin Doets in a hard-fought 6-4 contest. Despite the lower average, Masalin’s finishing proved decisive and earned him a crack at the seeded players on Saturday.
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Andrew Gilding was in no mood for sentiment. The 2023 UK Open champion dismantled Hungarian qualifier Milan Biro 6-0, posting a tidy 95.94 average and giving the home crowd little to cheer in the early stages.Ritchie Edhouse and Niko Springer both advanced with minimal fuss.
The defending champion Springer looked sharp in a 6-1 demolition of Maik Kuivenhoven, while Edhouse brushed aside Connor Scutt by the same scoreline.
Ireland’s William O’Connor produced one of the cleaner displays of the session, averaging close to 97 in a controlled 6-2 victory over Samuel Price.The standout performance, however, belonged to Keane Barry.
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The Irishman produced a superb 100.77 average to thrash Martin Schindler 6-2 – the highest mark of the afternoon and a clear statement that he is ready to trouble the seeds this weekend.
Ryan Joyce overcame a higher-averaging Cristo Reyes 6-3, while former Hungarian Darts Trophy winner Dave Chisnall eventually saw off local hope Andras Borbely 6-3 after the Hungarian had taken an early 2-0 lead and hit the first maximum of the session for the hosts.
Talking Points
Two genuine upsets (Masalin and Barry) livened up what could have been a straightforward afternoon for the favourites.Both Hungarian qualifiers exited, though Borbely at least gave the crowd something to shout about early on against Chisnall.
Defending champion Niko Springer looked composed and efficient – exactly what you want to see from a title holder on day one.Keane Barry’s 100+ average will have raised a few eyebrows among the seeded contingent waiting in the wings.
The winners now prepare for second-round encounters on Saturday against the likes of Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen and the rest of the seeded elite.
PDC Hungarian Darts Trophy 2026
Results
Jonas Masalin 6-4 Kevin Doets
Andrew Gilding 6-0 Milan Biro
Ritchie Edhouse 6-1 Connor Scutt
Niko Springer 6-1 Maik Kuivenhoven
William O’Connor 6-2 Samuel Price
Keane Barry 6-2 Martin Schindler
Ryan Joyce 6-3 Cristo Reyes
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Andras Borbely
Session Round-Up
The evening session promised further drama, including Beau Greaves’ historic European Tour debut against Rob Cross.A solid, competitive opening chapter in Budapest. The real fireworks are still to come.
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Images: PDC Europe
