"Feeling more positive ever since" - Van Barneveld plays world class match in Budapest after golden switch

Raymond van Barneveld showed again on the second day of the Hungarian Darts Trophy why he is a living darts legend. The 58-year-old from The Hague played as if time had stood still and with an unparalleled 6-1 victory over former tournament winner Dave Chisnall he qualified for a cracker against Gerwyn Price.

In front of a frenzied crowd at the MVM Dome in Budapest, Van Barneveld threw an average of 107.97, good for one of his best performances in recent years. The five-time world champion fired the maximum 180 five times and crowned his demonstration with a masterful 144 finish. The audience thus got a glimpse of the grandmaster from his glory years.

Van Barneveld himself visibly enjoyed his performance. "Today it just clicked," he said afterwards. "I went back to the shorter shafts a few weeks ago and have been feeling more positive ever since. Often I don't manage to bring the form from practice to the stage, but today it did work and I'm extremely happy with this win."

Those words say a lot about the path Barney has taken in recent months. The Dutchman had a changeable year, in which the spark did not always fly. That he is now so convincing in an important European Tour match is not only a boost for his confidence, but also a signal to the competition.

With his victory, Van Barneveld also jumped over Chisnall on the European Tour rankings. That means he will have a chance to reach his first European Tour quarterfinal of 2025 on Sunday. The next hurdle, however, is not the least: Gerwyn Price, former world champion and winner of the Hungarian Darts Trophy in 2021.