The afternoon session is done and dustend in Antwerp, and it delivered three last-leg thrillers amid a mix of clinical performances and a couple of notable upsets.
Niels Zonneveld got the weekend off to a solid start, recovering from an early deficit to see off Petr Tous 6-3 with a strong 98.24 average.
Bradley Brooks continued his good form by knocking out Mickey Mansell 6-4, while Chris Landman produced one of the afternoon’s biggest results, edging former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding 6-5 in a deciding leg for his first European Tour win of the year.
Kevin Doets was ruthless, dismantling James Hurrell 6-1 with a near-99 average (99.29). Karel Sedláček made light work of Michael Hansen (6-2), and Jeffrey de Graaf survived a scare against host-nation qualifier Jeroen Caron, winning 6-5 in another last-leg decider.
Ryan Joyce also went the distance, holding off Stephen Burton 6-5 in a high-quality contest (Joyce 95.66, Burton 96.11).
Niko Springer wrapped up the session in emphatic fashion, thrashing Jaimy Jacobs 6-1.
Flanders Darts Trophy (ET13) Day One
Afternoon Session Results
Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Petr Tous
Bradley Brooks 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Chris Landman 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Kevin Doets 6-1 James Hurrell
Karel Sedláček 6-2 Michael Hansen
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-5 Jeroen Caron
Ryan Joyce 6-5 Stephen Burton
Niko Springer 6-1 Jaimy Jacobs
Three deciding-leg contests kept the Antwerp Expo lively, with Landman’s win over Gilding standing out as the main shock of the afternoon.
Doets and Zonneveld looked particularly sharp, while the Dutch contingent once again made their presence felt on Belgian soil.
The action gets underway again from 6pm UK time (7pm local) with the evening session, featuring the likes of Rob Cross, Joe Cullen, Raymond van Barneveld, Damon Heta and Beau Greaves.
Images: PDC / Europe
