Swiss Darts Trophy 2026 Roundup | Raymond van Barneveld out as Michael Smith and Dave Chisnall survive opening-night scares

Raymond van Barneveld suffered a first-round exit at the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel, while Dave Chisnall survived a match dart and Michael Smith recovered from 3-1 down to progress. Stefan Bellmont gave the home crowd an early victory over Andrew Gilding, with Dirk van Duijvenbode later overcoming an inspired challenge from fellow Swiss Bruno Stoeckli.

Maik Kuivenhoven defeated Van Barneveld 6-3 to secure a second-round meeting with Jonny Clayton, taking control early and holding off a late response from the five-time world champion.

Van Barneveld missed a dart at tops in the opening leg and another in the third as Kuivenhoven raced into a 3-0 lead. It could have been worse: Kuivenhoven missed the bull for a fourth successive leg before Van Barneveld got on the board on double eight. The reprieve was brief. Kuivenhoven took the next two legs, opening the sixth with five perfect darts before completing a 54 checkout to move 5-1 ahead.

Five missed match darts allowed Van Barneveld to extend the contest, and a two-dart 76 finish reduced the deficit to 5-3. Kuivenhoven closed out the next leg, however, finishing with a 92.89 average against Van Barneveld’s 87.40.

Chisnall edged Alan Soutar 6-5 despite averaging 82.52 to the Scot’s 90.12, with Soutar missing a match dart at double 16 in a tense deciding leg. Soutar had opened with a 12-dart break, firing in a maximum and taking out 98, but a scrappy second leg set the tone for much of what followed. Both players squandered repeated chances before Chisnall eventually broke back on double 19.

A 78 checkout put Chisnall ahead, although Soutar responded to lead 3-2. The Scot continued to create opportunities, only for missed doubles to let Chisnall back in. Chisnall won the next two legs, then moved 5-4 ahead after Soutar wasted three darts to break in the ninth.

Soutar forced a decider on double 18 and earned one last chance when Chisnall missed two match darts at double 16. With 98 to finish, Soutar also missed that target, allowing Chisnall to return and finally seal victory.

Michael Smith came through 6-4 against Rob Owen after the Welshman missed a string of chances to establish a commanding lead. Smith started sharply with a 12-dart hold, but Owen took the next three legs, completing that run with a 100 checkout using two double tops.

The fifth leg proved costly for Owen. He missed seven darts to move 4-1 ahead, while Smith also struggled to finish before eventually finding double two. Smith followed that escape with two more legs, including a 15-dart hold, to lead 4-3.

Owen levelled, but two missed darts at tops in the ninth handed Smith another opening. The former world champion moved within a leg of victory and completed the comeback with an 80 finish on double ten, averaging 90.94.

Dirk van Duijvenbode beat Bruno Stoeckli 6-3 in one of the evening’s standout contests, with the Swiss player averaging 98.10 in defeat. Roared on by the Basel crowd, Stoeckli recovered from losing the opening leg with finishes of 68 and 148, the latter ending on double 14 to put him 2-1 ahead.

Van Duijvenbode responded with successive 11-darters. Back-to-back maximums launched the first, and another 180 helped him towards a 48 checkout in the next as he regained the lead.

Stoeckli missed four darts to level at 3-3, allowing Van Duijvenbode to hold on double ten despite boos from the crowd. The Swiss remained close at 4-3 and fired two maximums in the eighth leg, only to be denied a dart at double by Van Duijvenbode’s 90 checkout using two double 18s.

A missed dart at tops from Stoeckli in the next leg gave Van Duijvenbode the opportunity to finish the contest, which he took with his third match dart on double ten.

Stefan Bellmont overturned a 3-1 deficit to defeat Andrew Gilding 6-3, winning five consecutive legs in the evening’s opening match.

Gilding broke immediately and moved 2-0 ahead before Bellmont got on the board. A 44 checkout restored Gilding’s two-leg advantage, but two missed doubles in the fifth gave Bellmont a way back. The Swiss followed with a 52 finish to break and level, then took out 56 in two darts with Gilding waiting on 24.

Bellmont extended his lead to 5-3 and, despite missing his first match dart, returned to seal victory on double ten after Gilding squandered further chances to stay alive.

Jeffrey de Graaf finished with a 121 checkout on double 14 to beat Sietse Lap 6-4 and set up a meeting with defending champion Stephen Bunting. De Graaf had won the first three legs, but Lap responded with four in succession. Checkouts of 100 and 115 completed the turnaround, leaving him throwing for a 5-3 lead.

De Graaf broke back on double four before a fraught ninth leg in which both players missed six darts at double. De Graaf eventually found double four again to hold, then produced the three-figure finish that secured his place in round two.

Damon Heta defeated Alexander Fehlmann 6-2 to book a second-round match against Danny Noppert. The opening three legs all went against the throw before Heta held with a 64 checkout to lead 3-1. An 11-darter extended his advantage, and double four took him to the brink at 5-1.

Fehlmann prolonged the match after Heta missed a dart at double three, but the Australian completed victory on tops in the next leg, finishing with a 95.05 average.

Kevin Doets won the final three legs to beat Nick Kenny 6-3, averaging 94.89 and producing a crucial 146 checkout after missed doubles had kept the Welshman in contention.

Doets squandered six darts at double in the opening leg, allowing Kenny to steal a break with an 80 finish. The Dutchman immediately broke back with a two-dart 100 checkout and moved 2-1 ahead, but further misses allowed Kenny to level.

The pair traded the next two legs before Doets took out 146 on double 16 for a 4-3 lead. He followed that with a break on double 12, then sealed victory on double 16 after Kenny missed a dart at double 14 for a 121 finish.