Preview Saturday Afternoon at Swiss Darts Trophy 2025 | Peter Wright and Rob Cross kick off campaign for much needed wins

From Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28, the Swiss Darts Trophy 2025 is on the program at the Jakobshalle in Basel. This is the thirteenth of a total of fourteen Euro Tour tournaments and represents the last chance for a number of players to secure a spot at the World Grand Prix and European Darts Championships later in October.

The field of competitors includes 48 players and a total prize pool of £175,000 is up for grabs, with the winner alone taking home £30,000. Title holder Martin Schindler won the tournament last year after a narrow 8-7 victory over Ryan Searle.

Below we preview the first eight matches of the second round that are scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Among those in action this afternoon are former world champion's Peter Wright and Rob Cross!
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Searle enters action for the first time this weekend as the 16th series leader. His steady scoring and solid doubles make him a favorite, but Zonneveld can be dangerous when he plays freely. If the Dutchman finds his rhythm quickly, he can force Searle to show his best. Zonneveld is also still fighting for his place at the World Grand Prix, which could be an extra motivation, but may also put extra pressure on the Dutchman's shoulders.

Chisnall is known for his scoring ability and fast pace. 'Chizzy' is blowing hot and cold this year, however, and in recent months especially the latter. Completely against his habit, the 45-year-old Englishman did not manage to win a single tournament this year. Chisnall has to start fearing for his place in the top 16 and automatic qualification for the majors is beginning to be in danger. Chisnall has to recover and he knows that all too well, recently he said in an interview that this autumn will be decisive for the rest of his career. Woodhouse is his opening match against a fellow countryman who is having an excellent year. Woodhouse has already survived the first round and therefore has some match rhythm. Despite the fact that Woodhouse is lower on the world ranking list, he starts this match - especially given his current form - as a slight favorite.

'Snakebite' opens his tournament against Dutch Norwegian Cor Dekker. Wright has the experience, but is having an extremely lousy year with a succession of early eliminations. The 55-year-old Scot is having all the trouble in the world to throw above 90 average these days and also exudes little energy on stage. Wright is sinking further and further down the world rankings and needs to urgently recover towards the important majors still on the schedule this fall. Can he finally turn the page this weekend? Dekker, on the other hand, has nothing to lose and can play relaxed. That makes Dekker dangerous, as we could see several times in recent weeks.

Mike De Decker is the only Belgian who managed to qualify for the Swiss Darts Trophy. The Belgian hope will take on Krzysztof Ratajski. De Decker has been performing somewhat erratically this year, final places at the Belgian Darts Open and the Australian Darts Masters alternated with regular quick defeats at floor tournaments. He recently returned to his old flights, which he says made him feel good. De Decker is especially gearing up to defend his title at the World Grand Prix, where he took his first major title last year in the final by defeating Luke Humphries. Against Ratajski, "The Real Deal" starts as the favorite. Yet Ratajski is considered one of the most consistent players on the floor. So De Decker will have to tap his best level to turn this match to his liking.

Cross is obviously a regular name at the top, but this year is going rather badly for 'Voltage'. Cross wants to go big at the majors this fall and the Swiss Darts Trophy is an excellent preparation tournament. With Veenstra, however, he will not have an easy opponent: 'Flyers' - who was only called up as a reserve at the last minute this weekend - showed in the first round that he can handle the level. Cross is the favorite, but Veenstra can take advantage if Cross does not pick up steam right away.

A Dutch underdog in Basel. Van Veen is the young battering ram who is quickly making a name for himself, while Van Duijvenbode is known for his energy and fast game. It will be a battle of scoring power and mental resilience. One of the most open matches of the round. Especially Van Veen is experiencing a very good year, but also Van Duijvenbode - who was plagued by injury last year - is there again.

Danny Noppert reached the final of the Hungarian Darts Trophy last week, where he lost 8-7 to Niko Springer. The Freeze' lost his first European Tour title. Noppert travelled to Switzerland with a lot of ambition to win the coveted title this weekend. Noppert, always solid and dangerous on the doubles, will meet Irishman William O'Connor. Both players have a lot of experience but Noppert usually has just that little bit more consistency. Still, O'Connor should not be underestimated.

With the withdrawal of Ross Smith, Edhouse does not have to play and is automatically in the third round. That gives him extra rest and preparation time, but also the risk of missing some match rhythm compared to his next opponent.