This compared to last week which saw a slew of seeded players including Ratajski and Van den Bergh out early with the former in particular nearly continuing his European Tour woes.
But for 'The Polish Eagle', he soared to a 6-5 victory over Nentjes with an 89 average and 50% on the doubles. Going 5-2 up, it seemed Ratajski was easing towards the final day but with the finishing line in sight, Nentjes found resolve.
He hit a 13-darter to hold at 5-3 on double 20 before breaking the throw of Ratajski with a 78 checkout with 'The Polish Eagle' unable to pin 114. It was sent all the way with Nentjes consolidating only for Ratajski to produce a 13-darter on double 16 to seal it in the decider.
For Van den Bergh, it was a 6-2 success over David Evans in a comfortable win in the end for 'The Dreammaker'. A match with some intrigue going in due to it being Van den Bergh's first as a confirmed Target player with his new shirt and most importantly new darts.
But playing with the new barrels, he still produced an emphatic display with six 180's and an 11-darter to seal it as he moves into the final day in Jena with the first test out of the way.
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.
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