Chris Dobey and Rowby-John Rodriguez produced superb displays to stun Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price on a sensational night of first round action at the Cazoo European Championship in Dortmund on Friday.
The second day of the £500,000 event saw the world’s top three in action at the Westfalenhalle, although Van Gerwen and Price were sent packing on an extraordinary evening as six of Friday’s eight winners registered ton-plus averages.
Dobey produced a sensational display of scoring to deny Van Gerwen in a deciding-leg thriller, firing in eight perfect darts in a last-leg shoot-out to secure a first career victory over the Dutchman.
Dobey – who landed 15 140s and four 180s – appeared to have squandered a golden opportunity after relinquishing a 4-2 lead, with Van Gerwen conjuring up a spectacular 160 checkout to move 5-4 ahead.
However, the Dutchman spurned four match darts in a dramatic penultimate leg and Dobey capitalised, firing in back-to-back 180s and taking out 84 in the decider to triumph in 11 darts for his first career win over Van Gerwen.
“I’m over the moon. I was starting to think about it mid-game, but to get over the line is a great feeling,” said Dobey, who had lost 11 times previously to the Dutch legend.
the first round in Friday’s opener, averaging 107 to record another whitewash win over his St Helens counterpart Stephen Bunting.
Chisnall – who also dispatched Bunting 6-0 in their last televised clash at the Cazoo Masters in January – landed a 121 finish and an 11-darter to breeze through, and he will meet Clayton for a place in Sunday’s last eight.
Dimitri Van den Bergh also produced a ton-topping average to register his first win at the European Championship, sweeping aside Daryl Gurney 6-2 in a battle of former TV title winners.
The opening five legs went with throw, but a superb 11-dart break in leg six catapulted Van den Bergh to victory, with the Belgian winning four straight legs to prevail with a 101 average.
Van den Bergh’s reward is a second round showdown against Ross Smith, who reeled off four consecutive legs from 4-2 adrift to dump out sixth seed Joe Cullen with a 101 average.
Cullen converted a spectacular 154 finish in establishing a 4-2 lead, but Smith – who drew first blood with a 130 kill – responded with legs of 12, 11, 14 and 16 darts to prevail with a 75% success rate on the outer ring.
Saturday’s second round features a bumper double session at the Westfalenhalle, and the action gets underway with an all-Dutch affair between Danny Noppert and Vincent van der Voort, while 2018 winner James Wade plays Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Top seed Luke Humphries then continues his title bid against Ryan Searle, before World Championship runner-up Michael Smith meets Northern Irish star Josh Rock to complete Saturday afternoon’s action.
Ross Smith and Van den Bergh lock horns in the evening’s curtain-raiser, and Wright continues his bid for a second European Championship crown against Rodriguez.
Chisnall and Clayton then face off in an enthralling affair, before Van Gerwen’s conqueror Dobey plays De Sousa for a place in Sunday’s quarter-finals.
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2022 Cazoo European Championship
Friday October 28
8x First Round
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Stephen Bunting
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Daryl Gurney
Ross Smith 6-4 Joe Cullen
Jose de Sousa 6-1 Martin Schindler
Peter Wright 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Chris Dobey 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
Saturday October 29
Afternoon Session (1345 local time, 1245 BST)
4x Second Round
Vincent van der Voort v Danny Noppert
James Wade v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Luke Humphries v Ryan Searle
Michael Smith v Josh Rock
Best of 19 legs
Evening Session (2000 local time, 1900 BST)
4x Second Round
Ross Smith v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Peter Wright v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Dave Chisnall v Jonny Clayton
Chris Dobey v Jose De Sousa
Best of 19 legs
—–ENDS—–
Images: Jonas Hunold/PDC Europe
