Awesome Aspinall completes comeback after Van Veen collapse, inspired Plaisier dumps out Smith and Schindler raises the roof in Jena
PDC
The Last 16 line-up is now confirmed at the German Darts Open in Jena, with Nathan Aspinall, Wesley Plaisier and Martin Schindler set for final day action on Sunday.
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Aspinall is known for his stunning comebacks and his never say die attitude to darts and this was in full evidence here. Facing Gian van Veen, the Dutchman uncharacteristically folded after being in a winning position.
He races into a 3-0 lead, but Aspinall from there won six straight legs to race through and seal his spot in the latter stages. For Van Veen, this likely came down to World Grand Prix hopes which now fade as a result of this loss. A crazy sentence given his start to PDC life and seemingly being in pole position.
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From a superb comeback to raising the roof as Martin Schindler saw off Daryl Gurney 6-5. He joins Florian Hempel as a home hope on the final day. He hit four 1`80's and a 93 average. Gurney did through his hat in the ring himself with a 98 average and a high checkout of 164, but the crowd willed Schindler over the line pinning double 10 last dart after hitting 140 to leave double 20.
Back to the sublime to end the night as World Master in Plaisier saw off the European Champion Ross Smith. A match with two players that don't mind celebrating and showing aggression on the oche and it was the Dutchman that took it.
One of the shining lights on the European Tour last year and he showed why tonight in Jena. He averaged almost 102 with 42.9% on the doubles to down 'Smudger' and will now return for the final day.
Where can I watch the German Darts Open live?
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This year, the Euro Tour tournaments will be broadcast by Viaplay for the first time. The afternoon sessions start at 1300 local time, 1200 BST, while the evening sessions start at 1900 local time, 1800 BST
Furthermore, the European Darts Matchplay for British darts fans can be seen via PDCTV. A subscription is required to access this live stream.
How much prize money is to be won?
During each Euro Tour tournament, £175,000 in prize money is distributed. All qualifiers are guaranteed £1,250, while the top 16 players on the placement list at the German Darts Open will receive £2,500 anyway. However, these 16 players must win their first game in the second round for the prize money to actually count toward the world rankings and other rankings.
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Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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