Darter Veenstra hits world champion Smith, Van Barneveld can not do stunts

Darter Richard Veenstra has precipitated a thunderous shock within the first spherical of the Gamers Championship Finals, the final main event earlier than the World Cup in Alexandra Palace in London subsequent month. The 42-year-old Veenstra defeated reigning world champion Michael Smith 6-3.

You may also safely name Niels Zonneveld’s 6-3 victory over Daryl Gurney a stunt. Gian van Veen, Maik Kuivenhoven and Kevin Doets additionally certified for the second spherical. Raymond van Barneveld and Christian Kist, each former world champions, perished.

A complete of 11 Dutch individuals are taking part in Minehead. Defending champion Michael van Gerwen and trendsetter Dirk van Duijvenbode shall be in motion later this night.

Veenstra confronted a troublesome job towards Michael Smith, who hopes to defend his world title in ‘Ally Pally’ subsequent month. The Dutchman didn’t appear notably impressed and gained his first two legs unchallenged.

‘Bully Boy’ Smith virtually answered at 2-1 with a nine-darter, however missed the double-12 after eight excellent arrows. Nonetheless, the world champion was far behind Veenstra in scoring – who on this section nonetheless had a median of round 107 per three arrows – who brutally broke his opponent at 3-2.

Veenstra decisively ran to 5-2, missed 4 match darts on tops (double-20), however struck on his fifth try.

Later within the night, Niels Zonneveld achieved a fair greater common (103.6 per three arrows) in his match towards Northern Irishman Daryl Gurney. For Zonneveld, that was the crowning glory of an already lovely day, as a result of earlier than his match he already knew that he was sure of taking part within the World Cup.

For Raymond van Barneveld, his return to the Gamers Championship Finals (for the primary time since 2019) turned out to be a disappointment. In his duel with Chris Dobey, Van Barneveld was the primary to have an opportunity to interrupt within the fifth leg, however missed twice on his favourite double-16.

Dobey then threw out from 99 after which broke the five-time world champion (4 occasions with darts affiliation BDO, as soon as with the PDC) with double-7. This broke Van Barneveld’s resistance. At 5-3 Dobey completed it off.

Christian Kist – the shocking 2012 world champion (BDO) – was additionally unable to make any progress in Minehead. Kist suffered from bodily discomfort in his match towards the German Ricardo Pietreczko, didn’t come near his outdated stage and fell onerous (6-1).

The nice expertise Gian van Veen was clearly too sturdy for Chris Landman (6-1) in a Dutch assembly and can now face Stephen Bunting. If Van Veen reaches the quarter-finals, this might generally trigger logistical issues.

The ultimate of the youth World Cup is scheduled for Van Veen on Sunday night. By no means earlier than has a Dutchman managed to win the youth World Cup. Van Gerwen misplaced the ultimate twice and Berry van Peer misplaced it in 2016.

Maik Kuivenhoven and Kevin Doets additionally supplied a shock. Kuivenhoven was too sturdy for the Pole Krzysztof Ratajski with 6-4. Doets got here again from a 4-2 deficit towards the Portuguese José De Sousa and gained 6-5.

After which a twelfth Dutchman got here to the ‘oche’ tonight, however in a shirt that consisted of half ‘stars and stripes’ and the opposite half of purple tulips and orange.

Jules van Dongen, born in Meerssen, has been residing within the American state of Missouri for a while and is nicknamed ‘The Dutch Dragon’ for america. It did not carry him a lot luck. Van Dongen misplaced with out a likelihood towards Australian Damon Heta (6-1).

Danny Noppert is absent this time to help his closely pregnant spouse.