Today marks the start of potentially the most unpredictable major tournament in recent history, with three of the last four winners picking up their first Premier Event in their careers – Ross Smith, Ritchie Edhouse, and Gian van Veen.
My pick for the game of the day on Day one is quite an easy one, with Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross set to face off in a potential thriller. They will face off in the fourth game of the night (roughly 19:45 BST), for a spot in the Last 16.
The Welshman comes into Dortmund having reached the final of the last three Premier Leagues – the Matchplay, World Series Finals, and the Grand Prix – however, he is still looking for his first ranking title on the major stage since the 2021 Grand Slam.
Rob Cross has seen a dramatic upturn in his form recently, having picked up a Players Championship Title in June, followed by a final on the European Tour. However, his Quarter-Final at the UK Open this year is the only time he has reached this stage of a Premier Event in almost two years. “Voltage” needs a big run, and soon.
Having shared the Premier League stage for many years, the pair have an extensive head-to-head, which Price leads 19-14. In specifically Premier Events, excluding the Premier League, the pair have only met once since 2020, with Price leading that head-to-head 5-1. Their most recent meeting of this calibre came at the Matchplay, with Price winning 11-5 in the Last 16, but prior to that you must go back to the 2020 season, where they faced off in the World Cup and World Series Finals.
Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross have previously faced each other in the European Championship, but in a game a bit more important than the one tonight. Cross claimed his first of two European Championship Titles after beating Price 11-6 in the 2019 Final.
One thing I want to point out to keep an eye out, no defending champion has won a single match at the European Championship since 2018!
Gian van Veen will look to break this curse as he takes on Andrew Gilding in the penultimate game of the night.
Visit the DartsWorldStore here:
