“I want to be back in Dortmund” — Jermaine Wattimena has European Championship return on his mind after impressive start in Basel

Jermaine Wattimena wasted no time stamping his authority on the 2025 Swiss Darts Trophy, cruising past home favourite Stefan Bellmont 6-1 to book his place in round two and keep alive hopes of a European Championship return.

The Dutchman, who famously reached the final in Dortmund last year, was clinical when it mattered in Basel, pinning six of his 17 doubles at a steady 35% while punishing Bellmont’s costly misses.

“I play a lot of German speaking players, so you learn a lot from it,” Wattimena said afterwards with a smile. “Stefan is a good player, but I’m happy that I go through to tomorrow.”

From the opening dart, Wattimena carried the sharper edge. He stormed into a 2-0 lead, silencing the Swiss crowd, before producing a brilliant 116 checkout to stretch further clear at 3-0. Bellmont briefly lifted the roof in leg four by holding throw, but that was as good as it got for the Swiss number one.

A golden chance to break in the seventh leg summed up his night. Bellmont missed darts at double 16 and double 8 for 2-3, only to watch Wattimena step up and pin tops for the match.

The numbers told the story. Wattimena averaged 90.16 compared to Bellmont’s 87.14, but it was the Dutchman’s superior finishing that dictated the scoreline. Eight scores of 140 or better underpinned his control, while Bellmont, despite landing more maximums, simply couldn’t convert.

“You always have to work hard to get somewhere,” Wattimena reflected. “And you have to take the result on the weekend when it is.”

For Wattimena, the bigger picture was never just about Basel. With only one European Tour event left on the calendar after this trip to Switzerland, every win counts towards qualifying for the European Championship — a tournament he lit up just twelve months ago.

“Yes, hopefully I will be there,” he said. “Last year I made it to the finals, so I want to be back in amazing Dortmund. It’s one of my favourite places.”

That 2024 run saw him beat Luke Humphries and Danny Noppert en route to a maiden televised final, before falling short against Ritchie Edhouse. Now, with his form starting to peak again on the continent, the hunger for a return is obvious. “Maybe I’m in the same place as last year now,” he added. “I worked really hard then, and I’m working hard again this year.”

The Machine Gun has fired an early warning shot in Basel. Bellmont may have carried the crowd’s hopes, but Wattimena’s precision and composure underlined why he remains such a dangerous force on the European stage. Anything can happen in the race to Dortmund, but one thing is certain: Wattimena won’t stop until he’s back under the Westfalenhalle lights.