“Maybe the board wasn’t quite right at that moment—maybe I threw a bit too soft” — Noppert seeks cause behind bounce-outs during Euro Tour final against Aspinall

Danny Noppert delivered a strong result with a runner-up finish at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich. The Joure thrower reached his fourth Euro Tour final, but lost the decider 8-5 to Nathan Aspinall.

Earlier in the tournament, Noppert beat Ritchie Edhouse (6-5), Karel Sedlacek (6-2), Jonny Clayton (6-1), and Krzysztof Ratajski (7-2). Even so, “The Freeze” still spotted a few areas for improvement.

“I didn’t play my best tournament, to be honest—looking at my averages,” Noppert reflected to Viaplay. “Maybe the timing of my performances was good, but overall it wasn’t my best level. Still, to reach the final—that’s the summary, I think."

The Dutchman battled his way impressively through the field, striking at decisive moments. Against Krzysztof Ratajski he made the difference on the doubles. “My doubles were strong, hitting at the right moments, and those are important.” In his match with Jonny Clayton, he fully capitalised on his opponent’s missed chances. “He missed the doubles he needed, and I took good advantage of that.”

In the final against Nathan Aspinall, however, Noppert couldn’t extend his good run. According to the Dutchman, misfortune played a major role in the defeat. “I just had a bit of bad luck at certain moments—darts falling out of the board. I had quite a few bounce-outs in that match. I don’t really know why, because I have fantastic points on my darts."

Remarkably, Noppert had barely suffered from it earlier in the tournament. “In the other matches I didn’t have any issues. So yes, just bad luck in that moment."

Even so, he stayed in the contest for a long time. “Like I said, it wasn’t my best tournament, and you could see that a bit in the final as well. But it was 5–5, and then he pulled away from me."

Noppert is still in the dark about the cause of the bounces. "Maybe the board wasn’t quite right at that moment—I don’t know. What does it come down to? Maybe I threw a bit too soft, but honestly, I’ve never really figured it out."

He did stress that the issue has troubled him in the past, though he has since taken steps. “In the past, it really bothered me a lot. But nowadays, not so much, because I’m using different points on my darts. They’ve really helped me a lot."

The Dutchman remains largely positive about the equipment. “This tournament was fine, apart from the final. I’m very satisfied with the dartboards—Winmau is always a good brand.”

Beyond his game, Noppert also reflected on the importance of the right preparation during long tournament days. In Munich he handled that clearly better than earlier this season.

“There, I played in the afternoon, but the hotel was quite far—at least a 30-minute drive. So you lose over an hour just traveling, and then you still have to eat and everything else.”

That approach cost him then. “I stayed at the venue between the afternoon and evening sessions. But you could see the result—I only averaged 84. It was just a stupid mistake from me.”

In Munich he deliberately chose a different approach. “Now, playing early in the afternoon, I had more time. I could eat properly, lie down for a bit, take a shower, reset, and then go again for the evening session. That makes a big difference.”