Belgian Darts Open Saturday afternoon Round-Up | Nathan Aspinall stunned by Ryan Joyce in early exit

Nathan Aspinall was one of the biggest names to fall on a dramatic day at the Belgian Darts Open 2026, as the Englishman suffered a surprise 6–3 defeat to Ryan Joyce after a costly display on the doubles.

Aspinall’s scoring was solid throughout, but his finishing let him down badly, allowing Joyce to capitalise and pull away. Despite creating enough chances to stay in contention, “The Asp” repeatedly failed to convert, and Joyce punished those misses clinically to seal a convincing victory and book his place in the third round at the Belgian Darts Open.

Earlier in the session, Danny Noppert produced one of the standout performances of the afternoon with a 106.17 average in a 6–3 win over Luke Woodhouse. After a steady start, Noppert shifted through the gears, firing in three 11-darters and taking control of the match from the third leg onwards.

Woodhouse responded well at times with finishes of 92 and 81, helping him level at 3–3, but Noppert’s relentless scoring proved decisive. A third 11-darter gave him a crucial break, and he wrapped up the match with a 68 checkout.

Elsewhere, several big names advanced to the third round. Ross Smith defeated Cameron Menzies 6–4, while Chris Dobey secured a comfortable 6–3 win over Dave Chisnall. He hit a superb 98 checkout to do so and seal his spot against the slimlined Chisnall who is starting to play better but not at his best again yet.

Ryan Searle came through a deciding-leg thriller against Ricky Evans, and Martin Schindler saw off William O'Connor 6–3. It was a first win of the year for the usual imperious European Tour juggernaut, ironically outside of his home country of Germany.

Daryl Gurney also impressed in a 6–3 win over Damon Heta. He concluded the win with a brilliant 116 checkout. But the headline story remained Aspinall’s early exit — a result that blows the tournament wide open.

Meanwhile, Jermaine Wattimena progressed with a 6–3 win over Ryan Meikle in a much scrappier encounter. Both players struggled on the doubles, but Wattimena ultimately benefited from Meikle’s even greater difficulties. Despite being second-best for long spells, “The Machine Gun” took his chances late on to close out the match in 15 and 13 darts.