22/06/2024

Damon Heta turns up the heat on Dom Taylor as Stephen Bunting battles past Troppmann

Damon Heta, Stephen Bunting, Gian van Veen and Daryl Gurney have stuck to the script thus far at the European Darts Open winning through in the second round to reach the final day in Leverkusen mostly with hard fought victories.

Heta saw off Dom Taylor 6-4 with a 99.9 average as he continued his superb walk-ons and battled past the Tower with his own Towering Inferno. He produced four 180's and 50% on the outer ring as he claimed the win. It was a finishing clinic from the Aussie ace as he hit a high checkout of 104. Taylor himself produced some superb checkouts of his own including a 106 and was also on 50% despite being defeated.

Heta went 5-3 up with a 104 checkout as he went to the brink. Taylor asked him the question with a 70 checkout using the 14's and he forced Heta to serve it out who produced a 12 darter hitting a 98 checkout for the win.

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Stephen Bunting also saw off Kevin Troppmann 6-4. He would've been expected to blow away the German who only averaged 78 yesterday in a poor match against Benjamin Pratnemer.

But in kind of the opposite to Troppmann who produced a blockbuster checkout yesterday to win, it was a high checkout of 167 from 'The Bullet' as he squeezed through by the skin of his teeth.

As did Gian van Veen with the Dutchman surviving against Andy Baetens to open the session. Two players who can show real quality and go berserk on the dart board. It was certainly one with drama as the Dutchman led 4-0 at one point. He was pegged back to 4-4 by 'The Beast' but he surged through in the end hitting a 98 checkout with a 12 and 11 dart leg in a row to stave off the scare.

While Ryan Searle also claimed his spot in the Last 16 in style. He saw off Daryl Gurney to hit the half way mark in the session. He wrapped up a 6-4 win over 'Superchin' with a blockbuster checkout to surge towards the win.

He hit a 130 checkout on the bull to claim his spot in the Last 16 and in claiming the win, it was his seventh victory in a row against Gurney for Searle. Certainly a player who he enjoys facing.