"In the past, I might have crumbled under the pressure" - Impressive Mike De Decker dispatches Peter Wright in European Darts Trophy thriller

Mike De Decker impressed in the second round of the 2025 European Darts Trophy. 'The Real Deal' defeated Peter Wright 6-5 and average over 105 in arguably the match of the tournament so far. In the last sixteen, a duel now awaits with Cameron Menzies, who surprised Damon Heta in the second round.

As mentioned, De Decker against Wright was perhaps the match of the tournament so far, not only did the 29-year-old Belgian bring his best darts, but also his Scottish opponent reached a great level. De Decker gained the lead, but saw Wright still take it to a deciding leg. "At 5-5, I had a chance at an 88 finish, and I took it with both hands. I'm very satisfied with my performance tonight," said De Decker afterwards.

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"In the past, I might have crumbled under the pressure, but over the past two years, I've learned to handle it better and better. I showed that again tonight," De Decker continues. "When it really mattered in that decisive leg, I stepped up. I'm feeling great and looking forward to the rest of this tournament."

Mike De Decker reached the final at the previous Euro Tour at home

At the first European Tour event of the year, De Decker reached the final on home soil, where he lost 8-5 to Luke Littler. Could a second consecutive final be on the horizon? First, De Decker will have to get past the aforementioned Cameron Menzies in the last 16. The two have faced each other four times before, with Menzies winning every encounter. Will it be different this time?

"Uhm, next question," De Decker laughed. "No, seriously—Cameron is, of course, a very good player. But past results don’t matter; darts is played in the moment, and form on the day is often decisive. In any case, I’m approaching the match with confidence," the Belgian concluded.

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