Fresh from a magnificent semi-final foray at the European Darts Trophy, Niels Zonneveld commenced his Belgian Darts Open campaign in similarly emphatic and authoritative fashion, delivering yet another pristine and technically assured performance.
Opening proceedings in Wieze, the Dutchman produced a ton plus average, punctuated by five maximums, to dispatch Nordic and Baltic qualifier Jani Haavisto. The Finnish thrower offered a commendable and spirited resistance, but ultimately lacked the sustained scoring power required to trouble his opponent. Triple Z now advances to a compelling second round encounter on Saturday evening against Belgium’s number one and national talisman, Mike De Decker.
FULL DETAILS WITH DARTSDATABASE: The PDC EUROPEAN TOUR IN STATS AND FACTS
The subsequent trio of matches all resulted in English victories, although one of them carried an air of inevitability from the outset. Luke Woodhouse navigated his tie against home nation qualifier Pascal Devroey with consummate ease, rarely needing to elevate beyond second gear. Racing into a commanding 5-0 lead, the Harrow’s thrower appeared in complete control before the Belgian salvaged a couple of consolation legs to lend the scoreline a touch of respectability. Nevertheless, Woody will undoubtedly require a more elevated level of performance when he faces Danny Noppert.
Rapid Ricky Evans then overcame compatriot Scott Williams, who appeared a diminished version of his usually flamboyant and expressive self. Intriguingly, Williams fashioned more opportunities on the outer ring, yet it was Evans who demonstrated far greater clinical precision in the decisive moments. The Kettering speedster now progresses to face Ryan “Heavy Metal” Searle in what promises to be a far sterner examination.
Completing the English hat trick of victories, Ryan Joyce battled his way to a hard-fought success over Adam Gawlas in a contest unlikely to be immortalised in the annals of darting excellence. Both players hovered around mid-80 averages, with the Geordie establishing a seemingly comfortable 5-2 advantage before the Czech youngster rallied to reduce the deficit to a single leg. However, Gawlas was unable to capitalise on his throw to force a deciding leg, and his campaign concluded in frustrating fashion. Joyce now prepares to meet Nathan Aspinall in round two, assuming the latter successfully negotiates his own logistical challenges following reported travel delays.
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Cameron Menzies safely progressed to the next phase, securing a composed and largely untroubled victory over Sietse Lap. The Dutchman offered minimal resistance and struggled to impose himself throughout, allowing the Scot to complete his task with efficiency and retain ample reserves for his upcoming clash with Ross Smith. A similarly routine success was enjoyed by William O’Connor, who comfortably dispatched European Tour debutant Tyler Thorpe. The Irishman now advances to face Martin Schindler in Saturday’s evening session.
For a brief period, it appeared the Belgian crowd would have cause for celebration as their representative, Francois Schweyen, surged into a commanding and assertive 4-1 lead against Ryan Meikle. However, the Englishman demonstrated admirable resilience, systematically dismantling the deficit before reeling off five consecutive legs to secure victory. Schweyen’s visible frustration culminated in a moment of self-admonishment, underlining the cruel momentum swings inherent within the sport.
Mansell Proves Point and Sends Bullyboy Home
The session concluded with a contest laced with lingering tension, as Mickey Mansell overcame former World Champion Michael Smith. Their previous encounter had been far from amicable, and the conspicuous absence of a pre-match handshake suggested that any residual animosity had not entirely dissipated. Despite Smith outperforming his opponent statistically across average, checkout percentage, and maximums, he proved incapable of breaching Mansell’s throw. With the Clonoe Cyclone holding the advantage of throwing first, that singular factor ultimately proved decisive. Mansell now progresses to face another Alexandra Palace icon in Michael van Gerwen.
Action in Wieze resumes at 7pm GMT, where the remaining first round fixtures will be completed, setting the stage for an increasingly compelling weekend of darting theatre.
BELGIAN DARTS OPEN 2026 (ET3)
Wieze, Belgium (20-22 March)
Friday Afternoon Session (Results)
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Jani Haavisto
Luke Woodhouse 6-2 Pascal Devroey
Ricky Evans 6-2 Scott Williams
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Adam Gawlas
Cameron Menzies 6-1 Sietse Lap
William O’Connor 6-1 Tyler Thorpe
Ryan Meikle 6-4 Francois Schweyen
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Michael Smith
Friday Evening Session
Dave Chisnall vs Thibault Tricole
Krzysztof Ratajski vs Cristo Reyes
Joe Cullen vs Andy Baetens
Wessel Nijman vs Sebastian Bialecki
Raymond van Barneveld vs Boris Krcmar
Daryl Gurney vs Ian White
Niko Springer vs Kim Huybrechts
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Lukas Wenig
Saturday Afternoon Session
Ross Smith vs Cameron Menzies
Jermaine Wattimena vs Ryan Meikle
Chris Dobey vs Chisnall/Tricole
Ryan Searle vs Ricky Evans
Martin Schindler vs William O’Connor
Damon Heta vs Gurney/White
Danny Noppert vs Luke Woodhouse
Nathan Aspinall vs Ryan Joyce
Saturday Evening Session
James Wade vs Ratajski/Reyes
Jonny Clayton vs Nijman/Bialecki
Stephen Bunting vs Cullen/Baetens
Mike De Decker vs Niels Zonneveld
Luke Littler vs Van Barneveld/Krcmar
Luke Humphries vs Van Duijvenbode/Wenig
Michael van Gerwen vs Mickey Mansell
Josh Rock vs Springer/Huybrechts
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC Europe
