European Championship Round-Up | Bunting loses with 109.2 average, Price dumped out and Nijman crumbles under Van Gerwen pressure

The European Championship began on Thursday night in Dortmund as Michael van Gerwen survived against Wessel Nijman and Gerwyn Price wasn't so lucky in his repeat meeting over Daryl Gurney from the World Matchplay.

Van Gerwen was facing Nijman who continues to struggle in majors and in particular under the weight of the pressure he is dealt as his throw seems to fall off a cliff when the finishing line is in sight. MVG was in no way at his best and he managed to fall over the line in what could be a defining win in his run this weekend.

Nijman squandered seven match darts sauntering into a 4-2 break lead but as the finishing line gathered he was broken straight back by MVG who held and broke as Nijman missed 96 to hold. Nijman broke straight back for 5-5 but this is where his throw fell off a cliff as Van Gerwen won a decider in 21 darts to move through as Nijman just couldn't win.

The other main win of the night saw Daryl Gurney who admitted at the World Grand Prix that his relationship with Gerwyn Price is fine now after they kissed and made up in a headlock embrace at a European Tour. But while they've made up, perhaps that testosterone tungsten that is now lacking is what was needed to rev Price up.
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A tournament that Price would've been heavily favoured for a good run but he is out on Night One after a shambolic doubling display hitting 3/17 to lose 6-3 to 'Superchin' who lives to fight another day.

The same cannot be said for Stephen Bunting who was beaten 6-3 in a darting epic. 'The Bullet' averaged an incredible 109.2 in defeat but was defeated by Dobey who averaged 105.7, five 180's and hit 60% on the doubles en route to victory. Ending the night in style and sending 'The Bullet' packing in a night to forget for Bunting in regards to doing everything right but facing a brick wall in 'Hollywood' who handed him a defeat despite such a great display.

But while those names didn't find their way through, Martin Schindler did with 'The Wall' recovering from 3-0 down to edge out Dave Chisnall in a decider who wasn't best pleased with the crowd as the resurgent St Helens ace who snuck in through the back door met a player who has made his living playing great on the European Tour sort of like Chisnall in 2024.

He hasn't won though in this event despite it favouring him in home crowd advantage but he did tonight winning in a decider with a 104 average and 66% on the doubles. The sixth time of asking for Schindler but he finally seals a win on the Dortmund stage.

It was two Welshmen gone on Night One as Jonny Clayton who like Price has been in form finding himself going home early as he was defeated by Ryan Searle who punished 11 darts at doubles missed by 'The Ferret' to book end a 6-3 win.

Gian van Veen and Ross Smith were also victors. The former who was a previous semi-finalist in this event safely dispatched of Damon Heta 6-3 with a 96.7 average to reach the Last 16 in Dortmund and hand Heta another early loss on TV. While Ross Smith a former champion here hasn't won since then in 2022 landed a 128 checkout on the bull to hammer Peter Wright 6-2 who has had some form this past week but wasn't able to build on that.

Smith has recently suffered a family bereavement but admitted post match that he is very much playing and keeping busy as a coping mechanism and he won a ProTour during that so who knows what he can do trying to keep his mind occupied. it also sends Wright to World No.30 in the Order of Merit. While Ryan Joyce took down Luke Woodhouse to open the night. He saw off last year's semi-finalist 6-3 with a 97 average and a high checkout of 122.