Woodhouse hits nine-darter to set up Van Veen clash

Luke Woodhouse electrified the crowd in Dortmund with a flawless nine-darter during his round one match at the European Championship. The Welsh darts star secured a 6-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode, capping off a dominant performance with a bullseye finish. This triumph marks a significant moment for Woodhouse, who had previously missed the chance to achieve this feat at the World Championship.

The perfect nine arrived in the fourth leg, coming against the throw. Woodhouse followed two maximum 180s with a T20, T19, and an accurate D12 to complete the historic finish. He quickly recomposed himself, maintaining his composure to control the remainder of the contest.

The win ensures he advances to the second round with high confidence and momentum.

Woodhouse’s next opponent will be defending champion Gian van Veen, who also progressed to the second round. The Dutchman fought through a challenging 6-4 victory against high-scoring Andrew Gilding. Van Veen becomes the first defending European Champion to win a match at this event since 2018.

Gilding posed a significant threat, hitting maximums with ease throughout the encounter. However, Van Veen held his throw in the ninth leg and secured a crucial break of throw on D8. This pivotal moment allowed him to continue his title defence and aim to become the first back-to-back winner since 2018.

Welsh darts legend Gerwyn Price delivered a strong 6-2 performance against two-time champion Rob Cross. The battle between former world champions saw Price reel off four legs in a row from a 1-1 start. He bookended his stellar showing with a 127 checkout on the bull in the first leg and a 135 finish in the last.

Price will now face Cameron Menzies in the second round. The Scotsman was clinical in a 6-3 victory over fourth seed Neils Zonneveld. Menzies found three big breaks of throw to gain breathing room and finished the match with an 87 checkout, taking the bullseye to secure his spot.

Top seed Ross Smith survived a scare to pull off a 6-4 victory over Karel Sedlacek. After the scores were level at 1-1, the match became a game of breaks of throw. Both players scored well but struggled on the doubles, which proved to be their undoing.

In a nervy 10th leg, Smith eventually landed the final double on D2. This was his first hold of throw since the second leg, securing his passage to the next stage. He will now face Damon Heta, who had a dramatic run of his own in the previous round.

Damon Heta survived four match darts to defeat 2018 European Champion James Wade in a dramatic last-leg shootout. The Australian pulled off a nervy 6-5 win after Wade appeared to have the match in the grasp. Wade moved 5-3 ahead with a massive 103 checkout on D16, but Heta rallied to take the next three legs in a row.

Shaky finishing from both players saw Heta eventually clinch the game on D4. This victory sets up a tense second-round encounter against Ross Smith. Meanwhile, Stephen Bunting delivered a clutch 160 finish to win a last-leg thriller against Danny Noppert.

Bunting’s victory came after neither player could take control of the contest. With the game poised at 5-5 and the throw in his favour, Noppert was waiting to return on for 40 for the win. Bunting showed his class with a stunning T20, T20, then D20 checkout to secure the win.

He will next face Kim Huybrechts, who reeled off six legs in a row in a brilliant 6-1 demolition of Ryan Searle. Huybrechts was a late replacement for Luke Humphries, who had to withdraw due to illness. Despite a rushed three-hour drive, Huybrechts scored with ease, averaging 103.81, and did not allow Searle to get back into the contest.

The tournament runs from October 22 to 25, with the Grand Slam of Darts scheduled to follow from November 14 to 22. Fans can watch the events live on Sky Sports, which remains the home of darts. The World Darts Championship will subsequently take place from December 11 to January 3.