ANDERSON BEATS BUNTING! 🏴 Gary Anderson makes a winning return at the European Championship, putting in another quality display to see off Stephen Bunting 6-3! 📺 bit.ly/EC24Live #ECDarts24 | R1
Strong Gary Anderson to second round as Luke Woodhouse defeats former champion on European Championship debut
PDCThursday, 24 October 2024 at 20:59
Gary Anderson has won a match at the European Championship for the first time since 2015. After a strong match, he defeated Stephen Bunting 6-3 in the first round.
'The Flying Scotsman' last played at the European Championship in 2016. Back then, he lost in the first round, after which he missed as many as seven editions because he did not feel like playing Euro Tour tournaments. This year, Anderson returned for two tournaments on the Euro Tour circuit and by winning one of those tournaments he forced his spot for the European Darts Championship.
After two bad legs from both, Anderson posted a break in the third leg with a 12-darter. Bunting countered with a 12-darter, before Anderson managed another break ahead with another 12-darter. The Scot then held his own leg to take a 4-2 lead. Anderson held on to that break, setting him up for a clash against Michael van Gerwen or Gabriel Clemens in the last sixteen.
Ross Smith had to bid a quick farewell to the European Darts Championship. 'Smudger' was dealt a 6-1 defeat by Luke Woodhouse, causing Smith to lose a chunk of prize money on his ranking.
The 35-year-old Englishman managed to win the 2022 European Darts Championship in surprising fashion by defeating Michael Smith in the final. With this title, he earned 120,000 pounds at the time. Because the world rankings are based on performance over a two-year period, he now had to defend that amount. The loss in the first round thus subtracts 112,500 pounds from his ranking.
It was not until the fifth leg that Smith got on the scoreboard after a 14-darter. Woodhouse then made it 5-1 with a 14-darter. 'The Shed' then finished the job with a 15-darter for the win and a spot in the second round at Smith's expense.
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- What a paltry pay day. Is the Championship going to be on TV or YouTube. I still believe the BBC sunk the BDO when they dumped it for that ridiculous champions league that also died without trace. The prize money for the girls is terrible, why can't they win the same as the boys. It will hardly entice girls to enter the sport. Although hell knows what the future is for darts with the transgender craze.richieburnettrocks24-10-2024
- "Surely darts has little to do with physicality?" If that was true, there would not be women's events for the mentally ill bloke to play in.thebogeyman24-10-2024
- My god what a clown this guy is.... So REAL women should take pills to suppress natural processes to make it equal as he does not have such symptoms? And no: you are not winning because you put in the time and money, you are winning because you have an unfair advantage. Men play better than women, it is a fact. And let's not forget he was in the top 10 of the world in the boys earlier in life!DannyJ23-10-2024
- My god what a clown this guy is.... So REAL women should take pills to suppress natural processes to make it equal as he does not have such symptoms? And no: you are not winning because you put in the time and money, you are winning because you have an unfair advantage. Men play better than women, it is a fact. And let's not forget he was in the top 10 of the world in the boys earlier in life!DannyJ23-10-2024
- Yep... that is correct... that XY male will be at home with the other men.MrYnyslas197123-10-2024