The anticipation that surrounded José de Sousa’s arrival in Group A of MODUS Super Series Week Three (Series 15) quickly met the hard reality of a competitive six-player field on Monday. Where the previews had spotlighted the Portuguese star’s pedigree and the distinctly European flavour of a group containing a variety of European darters it was a Belgians who seized the early initiative.
Andy Baetens, returning to the Super Series for the first time since April, won four of his five matches to finish Day One top of the table on eight points. Victories over Arne Spee, de Sousa, Dylan Slevin and Paul Krohne were only interrupted by a late defeat to Killian Heffernan, leaving the Belgian with a slender leg-difference advantage over Krohne, who also collected eight points.
De Sousa himself occupied third place on six points after a characteristically mixed opening day. The former PDC major champion produced clinical whitewashes of Slevin (4-0) and Spee (4-0), and edged a tight contest against Heffernan (4-3).
Yet the Portuguese was unable to find an answer to Baetens (0-4) or Krohne (3-4), underlining the depth of a group that our preview had correctly flagged as far from straightforward.
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Further down the table, Heffernan sits fourth on four points after a pair of three-leg victories and a notable scalp of Baetens, while Slevin (above) and Spee prop up the standings on two points apiece.
What began as a story of de Sousa’s reacquaintance with the big stage has, after one day, become a tale of Baetens’ clinical start and a tightly packed Group A still very much alive.
Can the popular former PDC star manage enough consistency, along with his moments of magic, to claim Wednesday’s qualifying slot or will he be better off doing a full week of match practice and taking the longer route to Saturday’s finale.
The day’s fifteen matches produced several close contests, including three 4-3 decisions, confirming the preview’s suggestion that this European-flavoured section would offer little easy going. Play resumes on Tuesday at 9:30am BST with the same six players returning, all still in contention for a place in Saturday’s Finale and the subsequent Champions Week.
Daily play is also streamed on Pluto TV with highlights and other coverage on the MODUS Super Series YouTube channel, or via various bookmaker’ websites worldwide.
Check out DartsWorld’s MODUS Super Series Hall of Fame for the personalities and history of this event.
Images: PDC
