Preview Friday evening German Darts Championship: Aspinall, van Barneveld and Gurney in action

From Friday, October 17 to Sunday, October 19, the last Euro Tour tournament of this season is coming up. As the fourteenth event, the German Darts Championship in Halle 39, Hildesheim, is the final of the European Tour. This is also the last chance for players to qualify for the European Darts Championship next week.

In total, the field of participants consists of 48 players and there is a total prize pool of 175,000 pounds to be divided. The winner will go home with an amount of 30,000 pounds. Last year, Peter Wright won the title by defeating Luke Littler 8-5 in the final.

Below we preview all eight matches from the first round scheduled for Friday evening, Oct. 17. With the European Darts Championship just around the corner, it promises to be a crucial weekend for some players. With the likes of Nathan Aspinall, Daryl Gurney and Raymond van Barneveld in action, it promises to be an exciting night of darts.

The evening session kicks off with Players Championship 31 champion Jermaine Wattimena face off against Keane Barry, whose is under a lot of pressure to qualify for the World Championships with a tour card on the line. Appearing in Hildesheim has boosted him into a provisional qualifying spot but a win or two could be beneficial in cementing his place at Ally Pally once more. It is a tough opening test, with Wattimena producing scintillating darts in the week, winning his second PDC title and reaching another semi-final on the floor.

With his place in Dortmund confirmed, Daryl Gurney has no pressure on his shoulders this weekend, which in turn could aid him as he looks to triumph in the Euro Tour for the first time since 2019. The World Cup winner will clash against former BDO World Champion Christian Kist, who famously pinned a nine-darter at the recent PDC World Championships. However, only a final will boost him into the qualifying positions, with time running out for the Dutchman to make a third consecutive appearance.

The German Darts Championship produced a huge shock back in 2023 when Ricardo Pietreczko clinched the title on home soil, defeating Peter Wright 8-4 in a clinical final display. His place in Dortmund is safe, meaning he has a free run in Hildesheim. Birthday boy Radek Szaganski is set to compete in his sixth Euro Tour event, still without a win next to his name. If Pikachu slips up tonight, then the Pole will have a golden opportunity to claim his first triumph.

A dismal quarter-final display at the World Grand Prix should not overshadow an impressive tournament from Dirk van Duijvenbode, who is looking back to his best in periods. While his A game matches the best players in the world, it is vastly inconsistent with off-performances regularly creeping upon him. This could open the door for Karel Sedlacek whose European Championship hopes seen very unrealistic. With his place for the World Championships sewn up, he will be looking for a positive result this weekend. In Players Championship 31, he defeated Gabriel Clemens with a 107.46 average. A performance like that will most likely see him advance against a dangerous opponent.

The five-time world champion caught the headlines in Basel after a quarter-final run secured his place in the World Grand Prix and massively boosted his chances of appearing in Dortmund. That task is not quite complete yet, with a win pretty much confirming his place at the event he previously made two semi-finals in the past. His opponent, Kevin Troppmann, wrote his name into Euro Tour folklore with an incredible 167 checkout to defeat Benjamin Pratnemer in an opening round match while the Slovenian was stuck on double 16. Another moment like that against an opponent with the stature as Barney would be most welcoming for the host-nation qualifier.

Ricky Evans has previously made two European Tour final, losing in both of them. This year he has only appeared in two separate events in Gottingen and Leverkusen with just one win. With his world Championship spot safe, he will look to roll back the years and produce a show for the audience. Joe Cullen stands in his way, who continues to struggle on the oche. A 68 average in the World Grand Prix against Gary Anderson summed up his recent woes, with the former Masters winner desperately seeking a return to form. This is necessary if he wants to qualify for the European Championships. He currently finds himself £4.5k afloat of the top 32, meaning a quarter-final is the minimum to keep his faint hopes alive.

It has been a disappointing year for Clemens, who has only earnt £2.5k on the Euro Tour in 2025, secured in the European Darts Grand Prix with a first-round defeat. This is surprisingly his second event this year after three consecutive seasons of being a regular on stage. The two-time major semi-finalist is struggling for form, but a German crowd cheering him on could be what he needs to get back on the right track. Tomislav Rosandic is his opponent, who succeeded in the Eastern European qualifier to participate in his maiden Euro Tour event. The Croatian will hoping for a solid return on his first match on the big stage.

The final tie of round one sees the two-time champion this year Nathan Aspinall face off against home-nation qualifier Maximilian Czerwinski, in what seems like an uphill task for the German. Despite a sharp decline in the rankings, The Asp currently sits at the top of the European Tour order of merit, with two wins and a final going some way in propelling him ahead of the rest. Czerwinski makes his debut in the Euro Tour after coming through a qualifier and will need to be at his absolute best if he can cause a seismic upset in Halle 39.