“I don’t know what just happened” – Home favourite Jan Schmidt pulls off an upset by beating Cameron Menzies

The opening day of the European Darts Open immediately delivered one of the tournament’s standout stories. Home favourite Jan Schmidt battled back in spectacular fashion from a seemingly lost position to claim an impressive win over Cameron Menzies on Friday afternoon.

The 21-year-old German trailed 5-1, but then won five legs in a row to seal a sensational comeback. As a reward, he will face 13th seed Mike De Decker in the second round.

For a long time, there seemed to be no trouble at all for Menzies and Schmidt looked headed for a swift exit at the European Darts Open. His opponent had firm control of the match and was just one leg away from victory.

Yet the contest flipped completely. Schmidt suddenly found his rhythm, began throwing with more conviction, and made full use of the chances that came his way. With five consecutive legs, he turned the match on its head and sent the home crowd into raptures.

Afterward, the young German could barely comprehend what had happened. “I don’t know what just happened,” Schmidt laughed after his win. “The first half of the match wasn’t the best, but then things just clicked and went my way.”

That turnaround didn’t come out of nowhere. Despite the difficult start, Schmidt kept faith in his own abilities. That belief ultimately proved the key to his spectacular comeback. “I really came here believing that I’m capable of winning on the European Tour, and I took this belief on to the stage.”

With his victory, Schmidt not only pulled off a fine upset, but also proved he has the mental resilience to fight back when things get tough. On a big stage, under pressure from the home crowd and staring at an apparently hopeless deficit, he stayed calm and raised his level at exactly the right moment.

The reward for his superb performance is a clash with Belgian number one Mike De Decker, who enters the tournament on Saturday afternoon. It will be another stiff test for Schmidt, although after his spectacular comeback he will step to the oche with a healthy dose of confidence.

On paper, De Decker is the favorite, but Schmidt proved on the opening day that he won’t go down without a fight. If he can reproduce the level he showed in the closing stages of his first match, he can make life very difficult for the Belgian as well.

For the home crowd, Schmidt’s victory was already one of the absolute highlights of the opening day. The young German gave the fans a match to remember and showed why the European Tour is so beloved: no match is decided until the final dart has been thrown.