Day One of the final European Tour event of the year took place at PVA EXPO with 16 first-round matches setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting tournament. The focus was on the race for European Championship qualification, adding another layer of intensity to the competition.
Peter Wright, the reigning European Champion, was back in action in the Czech capital and wasted no time in making his mark. Wright, a two-time World Champion, faced a tough challenge from Cammy Menzies but managed to come out on top in a thrilling encounter. After establishing leads of 2-0, 4-2, and 5-3, Wright sealed the deal with a 14-dart break in the decider. Reflecting on the match, Wright acknowledged Menzies’ talent, saying, “Cammy has beaten me the last two times we’ve played on the European Tour. He is a fantastic dart player and I knew it was going to be a tough game, but the crowd helped me here today. It was a pleasure to play in front of them.”
The first round also saw Dimitri Van den Bergh, fresh off his BoyleSports World Grand Prix triumph, continue his winning ways on the big stage. Van den Bergh’s impressive performance included averaging 104 and hitting six out of eight double attempts in a dominant 6-1 victory over Brett Claydon. He now sets his sights on a showdown with sixth seed Danny Noppert in the next round.
With his place at the European Championship secured, Van den Bergh joins the likes of world number two Michael Smith, who overcame a slow start to defeat Kevin Doets 6-3. Another player moving closer to qualification is Nathan Aspinall, who put on a show by winning six consecutive legs to dispatch Host Nation Qualifier Michal Smejda 6-1, capping off his performance with a 114 checkout.
In a surprising turn of events, Pavel Drtil made a splash on his big stage debut, pulling off a stunning 6-4 upset against former Masters champion Joe Cullen. Drtil’s victory added a layer of drama to an already exciting opening day of the tournament, setting the stage for more thrilling matches to come.