With the PDC calendar entering its final lap before the famous Alexandra Palace appears on the North London skyline, it was time for edition eighteen of the European Championship.
Thirty-two of the top tungsten chuckers arrived in Dortmund – though noticeably without reigning champ Richie Edhouse, who failed to qualify.
Still, there was a silver lining that arguably outshone a trip to Germany: an engagement announcement to long-term partner, Tara Deamer. If special moments in late October are becoming a tradition for Madhouse, he’s set himself quite the bar for next year. Congrats to them both.
So, from matters of the heart to matters of the oche – here’s how night one unfolded in Germany’s ninth-largest city (yes, I Googled that).
Ryan Joyce 6–3 Luke Woodhouse
The scoreline looked tighter than it really was – at least from Relentless’s perspective. Joyce raced into a 5–1 lead and had Woody reeling. Credit to the Harrows man, he fought back admirably, but he’d left himself too much to do. Joyce, with more than triple the number of shots at double, finished the job efficiently – and deservedly.
Ross Smith 6–2 Peter Wright
No dramas for Smudger, who copied Joyce’s game plan and bolted into a 5–1 advantage. Wright – dressed as always, like a Jackson Pollock painting – showed flashes of his former brilliance, proving there’s still a world-class player in there somewhere. Sadly for Snakebite and his fans, that player doesn’t always show up. Smith’s sharper finishing sealed it comfortably, and even the 2022 version of Wright might have struggled to close that gap.
Gian van Veen 6–3 Damon Heta
The young Dutchman’s rise continues, this time at the expense of Australia’s top dog, who’s still chasing that elusive TV title. At this rate, Van Veen might get there first. Both men scored well, but GVV carved out more chances on the outer ring – and with identical doubling stats, quantity won out. That’s now four first-round exits in five European Championships for Heta, whose new mullet look isn’t exactly inspiring confidence.
Gerwyn Price 3–6 Daryl Gurney
Two-time semi-finalist Gurney overcame a brutal opening test to set up a tasty round-two clash with Ross Smith. All the pre-match talk was about their fiery Matchplay meeting, but this was more of a slow fizzle than a firework display. Neither player hit top gear – just two maximums between them, both from Gezzy – but the key stat told the story. Superchin’s doubling (over 50%) dwarfed Price’s disappointing 17%.
Jonny Clayton 3–6 Ryan Searle
Not a great hour for Welsh darts, with both World Cup heroes dumped out early. Clayton’s TV form has been excellent lately, with a final and three semis in his last four majors, but Searle was simply sharper. Heavy Metal finally shook off his early-round curse from the Matchplay and Grand Prix. The Ferret actually had more attempts at doubles, but Searle made his count. Gian van Veen awaits.
Martin Schindler 6–5 Dave Chisnall
On home soil, the German No.1 edged the first real thriller of the tournament. Chizzy flew out of the blocks and looked in total control at 4–1, but Schindi kicked into gear with back-to-back 11-darters to level things. The crowd played their part – some support, some whistles – and in a nervy decider, Schindler broke throw to complete the comeback. The Wall moves on to face Ryan Joyce.
Wessel Nijman 5–6 Michael van Gerwen
Heartbreak for Nijman, who missed seven match darts to take out his legendary compatriot in a pulsating contest. With MVG’s personal life in the headlines this year, it was anyone’s guess which version of the four-time champion would show up – fortunately for him, it was a good one. Nijman matched him blow for blow, but nerves crept in at the worst possible time. The 25-year-old will lose sleep over those missed doubles, while Van Gerwen breathes a massive sigh of relief. Fine margins, cruel lessons.
Stephen Bunting 3–6 Chris Dobey
The curtain came down on night one with two Premier League favourites, and they didn’t disappoint. It was scoring and finishing of the highest order – Hollywood Dobey near a 110 average with a 50% checkout rate. The Bullet played superbly too, but timing was the difference. Both were clinical; Dobey was just that little bit sharper. He moves on to face MVG in round two.
Plenty of drama to open the European Championship – especially toward the end. Not one for the Welsh archives, and Wessel Nijman will want to erase it from memory as fast as possible. But that’s darts – ruthless, gripping, and back again in under 24 hours with another eight blockbuster ties.
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC Europe / M Cooper
