Michael van Gerwen just misses a 9-darter and stumbles over the first hurdle at Baltic Sea Darts Open | Darts

During the match, De Brabander almost got the audience in the Wunderino Arena on the benches with a 9-darter, but after eight perfect arrows it went wrong on double-12. Nothing seemed to get out of hand, but in the end he let the game slip out of his hands. After a 4-3 lead, Van Gerwen did not take a leg anymore.

Darter Martijn Dragt caused a huge stunt earlier in the day at the first EuroTour tournament of the year. The 34-year-old Dutchman was too strong for former world champion Rob Cross from England in the second round: 6-5. Dirk van Duijvenbode beat compatriot Richard Veenstra, while Danny Noppert stranded against Keegan Brown.

Raymond van Barneveld was already eliminated in the first round yesterday. Jermaine Wattimena, Niels Zonneveld and Jeroen Mioch also did not survive the opening round.

Dragt, who has no position in the world ranking, settled in the first round with Ricky Evans (number 48 in the world). In the second round, the Dutchman met the number six in the world with Cross. However, Dragt countered a 5-3 lead Voltage.

The Englishman forced a decisive leg, but Dragt was allowed to start it and he won via double fourteen. In the eighth finals, the 34-year-old Dutchman will face the Englishman Ryan Searle, fourteenth in the world ranking, tomorrow. Then the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be played.

Dirk van Duijvenbode, the number thirteen in the world, had some difficulty with compatriot Richard Veenstra, 97th in the world ranking. Aubergenius fell behind (0-2), but repaired the damage and qualified for the eighth finals in Kiel, Germany with a nice 94 finish via two double nineteens: 6-3.

Van Duijvenbode scored an average of 88.36. Veenstra was slightly lower with 87.55. Veenstra’s finish percentage was higher: fifty percent to forty percent. However, Van Duijvenbode created many more chances on the doubles: fifteen, where Veenstra got stuck at six.

For Danny Noppert, the Baltic Sea Darts Open is over after the second round. The Freezeeighth in the world ranking, was no match for the Englishman Keegan Brown (number 109 in the world): 3-6.

Noppert went up to 3-3 with Brown, but then lost three legs in a row and with it the match. The averages of both darters were close to each other: Noppert’s 89.78 versus Brown’s 90.32.

Afternoon session
Ryan Searle – Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-1
Rob Cross – Martijn Dragt 5-6
Dave Chisnall – Lewy Williams 6-2
Dimitri Van den Bergh – Ritchie Edhouse 6-3
Joe Cullen – Arron Monk 6-4
Damon Heta – Bradley Brooks 6-2
Danny Noppert – Keegan Brown 3-6
Dirk van Duijvenbode – Richard Veenstra 6-3

Evening session (from 7 pm)
Nathan Aspinall – Steve Beaton 5-6
Jonny Clayton – Ted Evetts 6-1
Gerwyn Price – Graham Usher 6-2
Luke Humphries – Daryl Gurney 6-1
Michael Smith – Niko Springer 6-4
Peter Wright – James Wade 6-4
Michael van Gerwen – Stephen Bunting 4-6
Martin Schindler – Lukas Wenig

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