"Most likely, I’ll go to Q-School next year, and then we’ll see where the journey takes me" - Nick Zwittnigg outlines next steps in darts after Euro Tour debut

Nick Zwittnigg had the honour of making his Euro Tour debut in front of a passionate home support at the Austrian Darts Open. The qualifier gave a good account of himself but in the end was taken down by the more experienced Andrew Gilding 6-4 in a remarkably tight match.

It was actually Zwittnigg who clinched the early advantage, taking out 101 to break the 'Goldfinger' throw. This was almost immediately extinguished before five holds of throw saw Gilding take a 5-4 lead. His quality prevailed and he sealed a spot in the second round, avoiding what would have been a huge upset in Graz.

The overall experience was one that Zwittnigg will remember for the rest of his life. "I have to be honest, the walk-on was tough emotionally and because of the nerves," he told Dartsnews.com after the match. "But once I was on stage, it was an amazing feeling. The fans were fully behind me, especially after the 101 checkout. After that, the whole arena was almost shaking — it was incredible."

Friday afternoon is most notably when the arena is the most sparse on the European Tour, but that did not stop the passionate Austrian darts fans to show some love to their fellow countryman. "The first cheers, and hearing the chants of 'We are from Austria,' gave me unbelievable goosebumps. It was just an amazing feeling."

A relatively new face to all of this, Zwittnigg reminisced on his qualifying process for this tournament, unveiling his lowered expectations. "Honestly, I knew my practice over the last few weeks had been really good, and I felt a few wins were possible," he admitted. "But that it would actually work out at the first attempt — qualifying on my first try — was very unexpected. I really have to say that."

Zwittnigg is most certainly ambitious when it comes to his long term goals. He has played in a handful of WDF events and local tournaments, gaining valuable experience at a high level. His bio in his Instagram also reads: "Road to Q-School."

"I think a lot of people probably have the same background. I loved watching the World Darts Championship, then I bought a board and started practising a bit. Eventually, I looked for a club and found one in Klagenfurt. Since then, my passion has simply been to keep improving."

This passion has taken him to great heights, showcasing his talent on the big stage against a former major champion. The hope is to be doing that on a more regular basis in the future, meaning Q-School is the aim for 2027. "Most likely, I’ll go to Q-School next year, and then we’ll see where the journey takes me."

In the end, Gilding just had a bit too much for the newcomer. It was a remarkably tight ending with the Austrian pushing 'Goldfinger' right to the end. He was stranded on 129 right at the end of the game with Gilding taking out 40 to break and win the match.

On another day, he could have nicked something from that tie. Nevertheless, that was not on his mind at that current moment, still taking in the experience. "Definitely more joy about having the opportunity to play on this stage at all. It was an unbelievable experience," he exclaimed.

"But of course, at 4–4 I knew he was making mistakes and I had the chance to stay with him. Then my arm just got heavy and I couldn’t find my rhythm anymore. Overall, though, I definitely have to be satisfied. I won four legs and I can absolutely be proud of what I achieved here today."

As expected, nerves were apparent at the latter stages of the match. With a possible win in sight, and this could have been a factor in his eventual demise. "I’d say the nerves definitely came back in the ninth leg because I realised I had chances. And then it became incredibly difficult to find the right rhythm and height with my throw again."

He was not done with the darts yet. He outlined his intentions to stick around and watch the rest of the action. "Definitely watching the rest of the afternoon session and the evening session, and then we’ll see what else the weekend brings," he concluded.