
This weekend in Halle 39 in Hildesheim the fourteenth and also last Euro Tour tournament of this year will be held. The German Darts Championship is the last chance for several players to qualify for the European Championship. Whoever is in the top-32 of the European Tour Order of Merit after this tournament qualifies for this prestigious major.
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The field of participants in this Euro Tour tournament traditionally consists of 48 players, with a total prize money pool of £175,000. The winner gets to credit £30,000 to his account. Peter Wright began the tournament as the defending champion, having defeated Luke Littler 8-5 in last year's final. 'Snakebite' won his opening match Saturday night and thus still has a chance of title prolongation.
Sunday afternoon the eight matches of the third round are on the program. Below is a preview of these eight matches.
Gerwyn Price vs. Danny Noppert
When Gerwyn Price and Danny Noppert take to the oche for their duel, it is looking forward to a clash between Welsh flair and Dutch determination. Price, often known for his temperament and ability to generate momentum, will be keen to live up to his status as favorite. He wants to confirm his form on European Tour and show that he wants to emerge as a serious candidate for the title in Hildesheim as well. Noppert, on the other hand, is often tough in these types of matches: he knows the pressure of big moments and knows that against a top player like Price, he has no room for error.
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Price is normally slightly stronger than Noppert when it comes to scoring. For the 35-year-old Dutchman it is important to keep his own legs good and if possible force breaks when Price is less sharp. In a best-of-11 leg match, every leg is valuable: one weak move or missed double can cause damage.
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Jonny Clayton vs. Gian van Veen
Jonny Clayton is a player known for his composure under pressure and is also someone who usually performs well on his doubles. In this duel against Gian van Veen, he needs to put those qualities into play. Van Veen is young, dynamic and fearless - that could make him dangerous, as he can play freely without too many expectations.
Clayton will likely rely on his routine: he must keep scoring consistently and not show that he is intimidated by the energy of his young opponent. Van Veen will want to take advantage of some of Clayton's missteps. However, both players are particularly good this year, so if they both reach their best level this could be a very exciting match.
Steve Lennon vs. Nathan Aspinall
Nathan Aspinall has slipped a bit in the world rankings, but still starts his match against Steve Lennon as towering favorite. Aspinall impressed in the previous round by beating compatriot Ross Smith - helped by a 107+ average - 6-4. 'The Asp' is determined to climb up the world rankings again and can use every good result to do so.
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For Lennon, get off to a good start right away and try to put the pressure on Aspinall in the legs in which he gets the chance. The Irishman has plenty of experience, but Aspinall is normally just the better player. A big win by Aspinall in this match would certainly not be a surprise.
Jermaine Wattimena vs. Wessel Nijman
Two Dutchmen facing each other - Wattimena, already active at the highest level for some time, and Nijman, who is only just starting to squeak in. Although the latter has already made quite an impression. Wattimena is in excellent form at the moment: he won a Players Championship event this week and, when he is in rhythm, can throw high scores as well as produce stable finishes.
Nijman, on the other hand, already reached the semifinals several times on the European Tour this year and is quietly dreaming of more, why not this weekend? It is extremely difficult to name a favorite for this duel. Although Wattimena might just have the upper hand given his experience at this level.
Cameron Menzies vs. Peter Wright
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This is a clash between someone who has only recently risen to the top-32 of the world rankings and an established name. Let's start with the established name: Peter Wright. The former world champion has plenty of experience. Except that Wright is having an extremely lousy year. He is piling up quick defeats in all kinds of tournaments.
Can Wright finally pull off another strong performance this weekend? He is already off to a good start with a win in his opening match against home favorite Ricardo Pietreczko. Wright takes on his compatriot Cameron Menzies in the third round. 'Cammy' seems to have finally found the stability to reach his full potential. Menzies is currently even lower than Wright in the world rankings, yet he starts this match as the favorite given his current form.
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Martin Schindler
Dirk van Duijvenbode already made a special impression this weekend. In his opening match against Karel Sedlacek he threw a nine darter. In the second round 'Aubergenius' was 6-2 too strong for Chris Dobey. He posted a fabulous average of 117.74.
Van Duijvenbode will try to dictate the game, hold on his own legs, and try to take control in Schindler's legs. Schindler is a slower player, so it remains to be seen how Van Duijvenbode will deal with that. In the past that could sometimes cause problems to maintain his level.
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Ricky Evans vs. Dave Chisnall
Evans versus Chisnall next. Chisnall, the older hand in the business, has had a lousy year and still stands at zero titles this year, still very atypical for the 45-year-old Englishman.
Can Chisnall reverse the lopsided situation - he is also starting to drop a bit in the world rankings - this weekend? If so, he must at least get past Ricky Evans in the third round. The 35-year-old Englishman still lives up to his nickname 'Rapid', although he too could use a good result in a ranking tournament.
If Chisnall uses his experience and is sharp in the crucial moments, he is the favorite. But Evans can keep things exciting if he stays close and manages to punish Chisnall's mistakes.
Ryan Joyce vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
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Finally, the showdown between Ryan Joyce and Krzysztof Ratajski. This is also interesting: both players have tournament and television experience. Ratajski has been on a pretty good run lately, but Joyce is also solid. In earlier rounds, Joyce showed that his finishes are already on point.
This is another duel where it is difficult to put a favorite forward. Both players barely escape them and a 6-5 win for either is therefore written in the stars.

Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- Well,I suppose if you don't play the tournaments ,then why should any player qualify? There are players who enter every tournament,and if they don't win it,they carry on, spending money they haven't won,yet certain players seem to think they should qualify. Winners only I thinkrick6714-11-2026
- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026





