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Van den Bergh Dominates Meikle on Opening Day at European

Van den Bergh Dominates Meikle on Electrifying Opening Day at European Darts Open

Van den Bergh Dimitri Van den Bergh delivered a masterclass performance to light up the opening day of the NEO.bet European Darts Open in Leverkusen, overpowering Ryan Meikle with a commanding 6-1 victory.

Fresh off his second PDC ranking title of 2024 at Players Championship 12 in Hildesheim, the Belgian star showcased his exceptional form on German soil.

Van den Bergh’s impressive 109.45 average and 85% checkout success rate left little room for Meikle, who managed to open his account with a superb 121 checkout while trailing 4-0. However, Van den Bergh responded decisively, sealing the match with back-to-back legs of 10 and 11 darts. Reflecting on his win, the UK Open champion remarked, “I know Ryan very well. He’s a great player, but I felt good tonight. I am in a good place and enjoying my game more, and it seems to be paying off!” Van den Bergh now faces Dutch Darts champion Josh Rock in the third round.

The evening also featured a nail-biting clash where Michael Smith edged out James Wade in a thrilling last-leg decider. Despite Wade’s three ton-plus checkouts, including 102, 121, and 125 finishes, Smith prevailed, surviving a match dart at the bull. Smith will next meet fourth seed Rob Cross on Saturday.

In other notable matches, Raymond van Barneveld battled past Krzysztof Ratajski, hitting six of his 11 double attempts to set up a showdown against top seed Luke Humphries. Dirk van Duijvenbode impressed with a comeback win against German number two Gabriel Clemens, highlighted by a stunning 170 checkout. Meanwhile, local favorite Kevin Troppmann delighted the crowd with a comeback victory against Benjamin Pratnemer, sealing it with a 167 finish.

The action continues on Saturday with top-seeded stars, including reigning champion Gerwyn Price and world number one Luke Humphries, entering the fray. Fans can catch live coverage through Viaplay and DAZN in select regions, or via PDCTV and bookmakers’ streams worldwide.

Click here for match stats & results.

2024 NEO.bet European Darts Open

Friday, June 21 – First Round Results:

Afternoon Session:

• Dom Taylor 6-3 Radek Szaganski

• Karel Sedlacek 6-3 Matthew Dennant

• Dylan Slevin 6-4 Jamie Hughes

• Kevin Doets 6-3 Nico Blum

• Ritchie Edhouse 6-0 Jan Dueckers

• Jeffrey de Graaf 6-4 Andrew Gilding

• Andy Baetens 6-5 Nathan Rafferty

• Daryl Gurney 6-0 Marko Kantele

Evening Session:

• Kevin Troppmann 6-5 Benjamin Pratnemer

• Owen Bates 6-4 Joe Cullen

• Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski

• Michael Smith 6-5 James Wade

• Luke Woodhouse 6-3 Mike De Decker

• Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Gabriel Clemens

• Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-1 Ryan Meikle

• Callan Rydz Bye (Nico Kurz withdrew through illness)

Saturday, June 22 – Second Round Matches:

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST):

• Gian van Veen vs. Andy Baetens

• Stephen Bunting vs. Kevin Troppmann

• Damon Heta vs. Dom Taylor

• Ryan Searle vs. Daryl Gurney

• Chris Dobey vs. Jeffrey de Graaf

• Dave Chisnall vs. Luke Woodhouse

• Ross Smith vs. Callan Rydz

• Ricardo Pietreczko vs. Kevin Doets

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST):

• Danny Noppert vs. Owen Bates

• Rob Cross vs. Michael Smith

• Gerwyn Price vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode

• Michael van Gerwen vs. Dylan Slevin

• Martin Schindler vs. Karel Sedlacek

• Luke Humphries vs. Raymond van Barneveld

• Peter Wright vs. Ritchie Edhouse

• Josh Rock vs. Dimitri Van den Bergh

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