“I know I’ve got the game to beat anyone” - Tom Sykes stuns Niko Springer with 103 average on European Tour debut

Tom Sykes wasted no time making himself known on the European Tour, turning his first appearance on the circuit into the standout performance of Friday’s opening round at the Slovak Darts Open.

The 33-year-old Englishman, who claimed his PDC Tour Card in January, averaged 103.64 in a 6-2 win over Niko Springer in Bratislava, backing up his rapid progress with a display full of heavy scoring and clinical finishing.

Springer arrived with proven European Tour pedigree after winning the Hungarian Darts Trophy, but Sykes quickly turned the match into his own statement night. He pinned 60% of his attempts at double, converted a brilliant 148 checkout and sealed victory with a clinical 103 finish.

The win sets up a second-round meeting with German number one Martin Schindler on Saturday evening.

Sykes was one of six European Tour debutants in the Slovak Darts Open field, but his first appearance quickly became one of the main stories of day one. Across the 16 opening-round ties in the Slovakian capital, no player produced a more eye-catching performance.

Springer averaged 94.13, but Sykes kept the match out of reach with heavier scoring and sharper finishing. After coming through Q-School at the start of the year, the Castleford thrower has already shown signs of belonging on the PDC circuit, and this was another significant step.

“That felt good,” admitted Sykes after the match. “It’s always nice when it works out! I know I’ve got the game to beat anyone. We’ll see what happens tomorrow; hopefully it’s the same again.”

Schindler now waits in round two, giving Sykes an immediate chance to back up his debut performance against one of the seeded names in the draw.

The Slovak Darts Open is the ninth European Tour event of the season and the first to be staged in Bratislava. For Sykes, it has already become a breakthrough weekend, with his first European Tour appearance now one of the stories of the opening day.