European Championship 2019 preview and schedule: Saturday 26 October, evening session
European ChampionshipSaturday, 26 October 2019 at 09:00
Three Dutchmen, four Englishmen and a Welshman walk into a hall in Germany. Stop me if you’ve heard this one.
It’s not a cosmopolitan mix, but some of the biggest names on the European Tour are battling for European Championship quarter-final spots. Rob Cross, Ricky Evans, Daryl Gurney and Dave Chisnall have already beaten them to it.
Mensur Suljovic may have had a bit of a nightmare in the first round, but Vincent van der Voort can’t be faulted for a ruthless display. The Dutch ace next takes on Chris Dobey, who was highly impressive in dumping out a pre-tournament dark horse in Krzysztof Ratajski.
No player in the bottom half of the draw even threatened to match Michael Smith’s first round average. A 106 helped him to a 6-1 rout against Ian White. Having also put in promising performances at the Champions League, the Bully Boy could be on course for European Championship glory. His St Helens counterpart, Stephen Bunting, might well bring him crashing back down to Earth.
Gerwyn Price is now a hot favourite for this tournament, alongside Rob Cross. The Welshman has plenty of big challenges to come if he wants to win in Göttingen, starting with a revenge mission. Nathan Aspinall sent him packing from the World Championship in December. That kicked off a life-changing few months for the UK Open champion. Aspinall played well against Steve Beaton and is building momentum for a serious attempt at another televised title.
The second round ends with an all-Dutch tie. Jeffrey De Zwaan isn’t capable of a shock win any more, because the shock value has gone. Against Rob Cross, maybe...
In any case, de Zwaan ended Peter Wright’s European Championship endeavours with an efficient showing. The last three players to beat Wright on TV are all Dutch; first among them was Jermaine Wattimena. Being broken in leg one by Jamie Hughes might have derailed some players, but the Machine Gun fired in six legs on the spin to reach this stage. After World Grand Prix heroics, another quarter-final is in the offing.
European Championship 2019 schedule
Day Three, evening session
Vincent van der Voort v Chris Dobey
Michael Smith v Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price v Nathan Aspinall
Jeffrey de Zwaan v Jermaine Wattimena
Michael Smith v Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price v Nathan Aspinall
Jeffrey de Zwaan v Jermaine Wattimena
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- Luke Littler played incredible darts yesterday in the semi-final and the final, heralding a new era of darts (along with some of the other brilliant young players who are emerging). And yet, at Luke's celebration feast, de Decker's ghost is Banquo to Littler's Macbeth, mournfully looking on.
UndartedWaters18-11-2024 - Am not outraged and as said above i dont like anyone from any country doing it to anyone from any country. Whoever is going for a double should have best of order.Mysstree17-11-2024
- Say what? It happens in other countries; Littler in January - this year (Holland), go and watch the evidence on YouTube. If it is going to be done to English players, then we are more than entitled to dish the same back when players face off in England. When it happened to Littler in Holland in January... where was your outrage then? ABE attitude.MrYnyslas197117-11-2024
- I dont like individuals or crowds trying to put any player off when they are trying to check out, how anyone can think its okay for the crowd to whistle or shout as someone is throwing for a double is beyond me but it does seem to have become part and parcel of the modern game. I no longer play now, darts is as good as dead at a local level round my way but when i did play many years ago, no matter how intense the rivalry you never shouted out or whistled when an opponent from the other team was throwing for a double.Mysstree17-11-2024
- The pundits glossing over the other factor at play in that match. They appear to be somewhat constrained in what they can say publicly.UndartedWaters16-11-2024