"Michael Smith is a fantastic player. He's been struggling but he still has such presence" – Mario Vandenbogaerde dumps out former world champ to send Antwerp crazy

Mario Vandenbogaerde sent the Antwerp Expo into raptures Friday night as he edged out former World Champion Michael Smith in a dramatic last-leg decider to reach the second round of the 2025 Flanders Darts Trophy.

The 50-year-old from West Flanders, making his first appearance on a major stage in front of his home crowd, showed incredible composure to claim a 6–5 win and become the third Belgian to progress, joining Kim Huybrechts and Mike De Decker. His reward is a second-round clash with Jonny Clayton in the final match of Friday evening’s session.

Vandenbogaerde, nicknamed Super Mario, carried the energy of his walk-on into the match, entering to the lively tune Dochter van de groenteboer and feeding off the noise of a partisan crowd. He quickly settled into rhythm, moving 4–1 ahead with steady scoring and a clinical 81 checkout.

The Belgian appeared to be cruising, but Smith – who has been hampered in recent months by shoulder problems – showed his resilience. After Vandenbogaerde missed three darts for a 5–1 lead, the Englishman battled back to 4–3, keeping the contest alive. A brilliant 91 finish from Vandenbogaerde restored his advantage, only for more missed match darts to allow Smith to level at 5–5.

In a tension-filled decider, Vandenbogaerde produced his best darts at the perfect moment, opening with 100 and back-to-back 140s to seize control. Despite leaving himself awkwardly on 31, he held his nerve to land double 8 for a famous victory, greeted by a deafening roar inside the Expo.

“I was so relieved when that last dart went in,” said an emotional Vandenbogaerde afterwards in comments collected by Het Nieuwsblad. “Michael is a fantastic player and normally punishes everything. He’s been struggling with his shoulder, but still – he has such presence up there. The crowd drove me on, it was fantastic. And that decider… you feel like you’re dying out there. But my first treble kept going in and that gave me belief.”

Vandenbogaerde admitted the occasion was made even more special by the support of his wife Carla, who watched nervously from the crowd. “My wife felt the tension as well, but I enjoy that,” he smiled. “I like making it exciting – don’t ask me why. I didn’t feel pressure from the crowd, they pushed me on. For now I’ll celebrate, and tomorrow we’ll see what happens.”

The Belgian’s dramatic triumph ensured a dream night for the home supporters, who now have three local favourites to cheer on in the second round as the Flanders Darts Trophy continues.