In a whirlwind of darting action, Saturday’s second round witnessed a total of 16 matches taking place across a double session at the St. Jakobshalle in Switzerland. The stage was set for the sport’s biggest names to make their mark on Swiss soil.
World number one, Humphries, kicked off his title challenge with a spectacular 6-2 victory against Richard Veenstra. The skilled darts player managed to hit six out of seven attempts at double, displaying a precision that resulted in a triumphant finish with a remarkable 100.7 average.
Reflecting on his performance, Humphries shared, “I’ve been struggling for something over the last couple of weeks, but that was a good performance tonight.” The talented player is anticipating a thrilling face-off in his rivalry with Littler. “I think me against Luke is the big game in darts at the moment,” he added. “We both enjoy playing each other, so hopefully we can produce a classic and give the fans a great game.”
Littler, a decorated winner of two European Tour titles in 2024, didn’t have the smoothest start but managed to quash home hopes in Switzerland by emerging as a 6-3 victor against Host Nation Qualifier, Bruno Stöckli. Despite Stöckli’s strong start in front of a supportive crowd exceeding 4,000 fans, Littler showcased his strength in the latter stages, clinching victory with four consecutive legs to avoid an upset.
Sharing his insight, Littler revealed, “My new darts only came out a few days ago so I tried them out for the first time on stage tonight.” His performance was accentuated by a remarkable 145 checkout in leg seven. “The crowd were on Bruno’s side, but that 145 [finish] really changed the game for me, and hopefully I can play a little bit better tomorrow.”
In a surprising turn of events, top seed Dave Chisnall was among the big names to crash out on Day Two in Basel. Chisnall fell short, losing 6-3 to a resurgent Nathan Aspinall, who showcased an impressive average of 100.89 to secure his place in Finals Day.
