Michael van Gerwen’s torrid run of form on the European Tour continued on Saturday as the Dutch favourite suffered a stunning second-round elimination at the Dutch Darts Championship, losing 6-5 to Irishman William O’Connor in front of a stunned home crowd in Maastricht.
The early exit compounds a deeply frustrating season for the three-time world champion. Having already suffered opening-match defeats at four separate European Tour events prior to his arrival in the Netherlands—namely the European Darts Trophy, the German Darts Grand Prix, the Flanders Darts Trophy, and the Swiss Darts Trophy—this latest setback marks the most first-round exits Van Gerwen has endured in a single season since the tour’s inception back in 2012.
O’Connor, meanwhile, turned in a masterclass of high-pressure finishing to claim the scalp and secure his progression to the third round. The Irishman relied on ruthless efficiency, firing in three sensational ton-plus checkouts of 136, 131, and 121 at crucial moments to withstand the partisan atmosphere and edge out the local hero in a dramatic deciding leg.
While the home crowd was left reeling by Van Gerwen’s departure, they were soon treated to a historic moment of brilliance by compatriot Gian van Veen. The young Dutchman produced a scintillating performance to whitewash Sebastian Bialecki 6-0, averaging a staggering 120.24 in the process. In doing so, Van Veen shattered the previous European Tour record average of 118.66, which had been held by Dave Chisnall, etching his name into the history books with one of the most dominant displays ever witnessed on the circuit.
Saturday’s action also carried immense significance in the race for qualification spots ahead of the upcoming European Championship in Dortmund, with several players seizing their final opportunities to secure a trip to Germany.
Martin Schindler booked his place at the major tournament by overcoming Karel Sedlacek 6-4 in a hard-fought contest. Stephen Bunting similarly left it late to seal his qualification, producing a polished 6-2 victory over the already-qualified Cameron Menzies. The former Masters champion needed a strong run of form in Maastricht to guarantee his berth, and he delivered under pressure by pinning six out of ten attempts at the outer ring against the Scot, a crucial win that ultimately pushed Kim Huybrechts out of the qualification reckoning.
Brendan Dolan kept his own qualification hopes alive, standing as the only player now capable of displacing Sedlacek after holding off Heine Uuldriks 6-4. The Northern Irishman had initially surged into a comfortable 4-1 lead before being pegged back, but he recovered his composure to get over the finishing line.
Nathan Aspinall dealt a decisive blow to Michael Smith’s qualification aspirations, delivering a commanding 6-1 victory over the former world champion. The World Grand Prix semi-finalist was in formidable touch, averaging over 102 to dismantle Smith’s hopes of a trip to Dortmund.
Other notable victors on Saturday included Wessel Nijman and Danny Noppert, who both secured their places in Sunday’s final stages by defeating Jeffrey De Graaf and Dave Chisnall respectively. Niels Zonneveld edged a tense last-leg decider against Krzysztof Ratajski, hitting a remarkable seven maximums for the second consecutive match to advance to round three. Jermaine Wattimena also flew the flag for the host nation, easing past Host Nation Qualifier Jimmy van Schie 6-2.
At the top of the European Tour rankings, Ross Smith navigated his way past Ryan Joyce 6-2 and will now face Ryan Searle in the third round after Searle edged out Dirk van Duijvenbode in a nail-biting 6-5 thriller.
Elsewhere on the stage, Gerwyn Price made a successful return to action, subduing Scott Williams 6-3 to progress. Damon Heta averaged over 103 in a one-sided 6-1 victory over Jonny Clayton, securing his first win against the Welshman since May of the previous year. Luke Woodhouse also booked his spot in Sunday’s action with a comfortable win over Andrew Gilding.
Bringing Saturday’s extended schedule to a memorable close, Cristo Reyes produced one of the performances of the day. The Spaniard averaged over 110 and converted 60 per cent of his attempts at the outer ring to brush aside Chris Dobey 6-2.
The Dutch Darts Championship now builds toward its climax on Sunday with a bumper double session in Maastricht, where the final 16 players will lock horns for the title.
Dutch Darts Championship Schedule and Results
All times UK and Ireland
Sunday, October 18
Round Three (12:00 PM)
Gian van Veen vs Brendan Dolan
Ryan Searle vs Ross Smith
William O’Connor vs Luke Woodhouse
Danny Noppert vs Jermaine Wattimena
Gerwyn Price vs Niels Zonneveld
Wessel Nijman vs Cristo Reyes
Damon Heta vs Martin Schindler
Stephen Bunting vs Nathan Aspinall
Evening Session (6:00 PM)
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Saturday, October 17
Round Two
Martin Schindler 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Wessel Nijman 6-3 Jeffrey De Graaf
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Ross Smith 6-2 Ryan Joyce
Danny Noppert 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Ryan Searle 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Heine Uuldriks
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Scott Williams
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Jimmy van Schie
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Cameron Menzies
Gian van Veen 6-0 Sebastian Bialecki
William O’Connor 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Damon Heta 6-1 Jonny Clayton
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Michael Smith
Cristo Reyes 6-2 Chris Dobey
Friday, October 16
Round One
Karel Sedlacek 6-4 Callan Rydz
Cameron Menzies 6-1 Nick Kenny
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Jonas Masalin
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Max Hopp
Ryan Joyce 6-0 Owen Bates
Heine Uuldriks 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 James Hurrell
Sebastian Bialecki 6-4 Daryl Gurney
William O’Connor 6-2 Richard Veenstra
Scott Williams 6-5 Niko Springer
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Mike De Decker
Jimmy van Schie 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Cristo Reyes 6-2 Krzysztof Kciuk
Damon Heta 6-4 Maikel Verberk
Michael Smith 6-5 Stephen Burton