Schedule Sunday afternoon at Dutch Darts Championship with blockbuster Luke Humphries v Michael Smith clash

At the Dutch Darts Championship we have now reached the third round. Sixteen players are still in the fight for victory in Autotron Rosmalen.

Rosmalen hosts the seventh Euro Tour tournament of the season this weekend. It is the fifth time the Dutch Darts Championship has been played. The first edition took place in 2018 in Maastricht and was won by Ian White, who settled with Ricky Evans (8-5) in the final. Four years later, the Dutch Darts Championship moved to Zwolle. Then it was Michael Smith who got to lift the cup. Bullyboy' won the final 8-7 against Danny Noppert, for now the only Dutch finalist in the history of this event.

Since the 2022 edition, this tournament does appear annually on the Euro Tour calendar. However, for the third time in a row it got a different location. In 2023 it was Leeuwarden that hosted the Dutch Darts Championship. The title was a triumph for Dave Chisnall after an 8-5 victory over Luke Humphries. Starting in 2024, the event will be held in Rosmalen, which is now playing for the second year in a row. Josh Rock is the defending champion, after taking the win against Jonny Clayton (8-4).
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The afternoon session in Rosmalen gets underway with a blockbuster clash between two former world champions. But it's clear that one arrives in better form than the other. Luke Humphries recently secured second place in the final Premier League Darts standings, booking his spot at the O2. Earlier this year, 'Cool Hand Luke' also claimed the Winmau World Masters title, underlining his red-hot form. Michael Smith, meanwhile, has endured a challenging year, slipping to 20th in the world rankings. That said, 'Bully Boy' has shown glimpses of resurgence in recent weeks, averaging just under a ton in his last outing against Ryan Joyce. If both men bring their A-game, this could be a real thriller.

Next up, it's William O'Connor against Ritchie Edhouse. O'Connor booked his place in the last 16 by defeating Boris Krcmar, who had pulled off an opening-round upset over Gian van Veen. Edhouse, meanwhile, survived match darts in his first-round clash with Kim Huybrechts and edged past Dave Chisnall in a nail-biting second-round encounter. This one is wide open and could easily go all the way to a deciding leg.

Jonny Clayton takes on Ross Smith in a battle of former major champions. Fourth seed Clayton eased past Max Hopp 6–2 in the previous round and comes into this match in good form, having won a Players Championship title last month and reached the final of the Winmau World Masters. He’ll need to maintain that level against the ever-dangerous Ross Smith, who dispatched Raymond van Barneveld 6–2 with an impressive near-100 average.

Next, the first of three Dutchmen in action this afternoon steps up. Danny Noppert, who overcame Mario Vandenbogaerde in the second round, now faces fifth seed Damon Heta. 'The Heat', a former Euro Tour winner, saw off Dutch hopeful Jeffrey Sparidaans last time out. Heta and Noppert are closely matched in style and scoring power, setting the stage for what could be a tightly contested affair.

Veteran Northern Irishman Mickey Mansell returns to the stage after receiving a bye in the second round following Michael van Gerwen’s withdrawal for personal reasons. Mansell edged past Mike De Decker 6–5 in the opening round and now meets Ryan Searle, who got the better of compatriot Ryan Meikle with a 6–4 victory. This match offers Mansell a real chance to reach the quarter-finals, but Searle remains the favourite.

The Rosmalen crowd is in for a treat with an all-Dutch showdown between Dirk van Duijvenbode and Wessel Nijman. Van Duijvenbode appears to be regaining top form following shoulder issues, having delivered commanding performances against Teemu Harju and James Wade. Nijman has also impressed, defeating Berry van Peer and then dismantling Peter Wright 6–1. With both players known for their rapid pace and heavy scoring, this promises to be a barnburner.

Following the Dutch duel, it's an all-German encounter as rising star Niko Springer faces off with Martin Schindler. Springer, long touted as Germany’s next big hope, edged out Stephen Bunting 6–5 in a thriller. He now faces a major test in the form of 'The Wall', who already has a Euro Tour title to his name this year after winning the Austrian Darts Open. Schindler dispatched Martin Lukeman in his previous match and will be eyeing a deep run here.

The afternoon session concludes with Daryl Gurney taking on Ricardo Pietreczko. Gurney, a two-time televised title winner, came through a gritty encounter with sixth seed Chris Dobey by the narrowest of margins. Pietreczko, meanwhile, knocked out reigning champion Josh Rock 6–4 to continue his impressive run. With both men full of confidence, this could be a fitting finale to a stacked session.

The tournament will be broadcast by Viaplay and PDC TV. As usual with Euro Tour tournaments, the Dutch Darts Championship consists of three tournament days. The afternoon sessions start daily at 12 p.m., while the evening sessions start at 6 p.m.

The first round will take place on Friday. The 16 Pro Tour players are then paired with one of the 16 players who managed to get through the various qualifying tournaments. The top-16 seeded players enter the tournament on Saturday in the second round. The conclusion of the tournament follows on Sunday, with the third round first in the afternoon session. Sunday night the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will follow.

All participants starting from the first round are guaranteed £1250 in prize money, while the top-16 enter from the second round and receive £2,500 anyway. This amount eventually rises to the grand prize of £30,000 for the winner.

An important detail is that players who are automatically seeded via the Order of Merit and lose their first match will not be awarded prize money on the various rankings. This does apply to qualifiers who are later designated as seeded by the withdrawal of others.

Luke Humphries v Michael Smith

William O'Connor v Ritchie Edhouse

Jonny Clayton v Ross Smith

Damon Heta v Danny Noppert

Mickey Mansell v Ryan Searle

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Wessel Nijman

Niko Springer v Martin Schindler

Daryl Gurney v Ricardo Pietreczko