Aspinall Claims Third European Tour Title of the Season with German Triumph

Nathan Aspinall secured his third European Tour title of the year with a hard-fought 8–6 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode in the final of the 2025 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Championship on Sunday. The Englishman delivered a series of world-class performances across the weekend in Hildesheim, underlining why he currently sits at the top of the European Tour rankings.

Aspinall has already tasted success this season in Göttingen and Leverkusen, and his latest title completes a sensational hat-trick on German soil. From his first match at Halle 39, the Stockport thrower looked sharp and composed. He opened his campaign by averaging 103 in a win over Maximilian Czerwinski and followed it with a 107 average in a dominant victory against Ross Smith.

On Finals Day, Aspinall elevated his game even further. He recorded an outstanding 110 average in dispatching Steve Lennon and then went on to defeat Jermaine Wattimena and the talented young Dutchman Gian van Veen. His quarter-final clash against Wattimena ended 6–4, but it was the semi-final that showcased his resilience. Trailing 6–3 against Van Veen, Aspinall reeled off four consecutive legs, landed seven 180s, and produced a brilliant comeback to book his place in the decisive match.

The final saw Aspinall take on another in-form Dutch star, Dirk van Duijvenbode, who was chasing his first European Tour crown. Van Duijvenbode had lit up the tournament earlier with a nine-dart finish on the opening day and nearly repeated the feat in the second leg of the final, throwing seven perfect darts before settling for a ten-darter.

After four closely contested legs, the match stood level, but Aspinall then surged ahead with a burst of high-quality finishing. He put together legs of 14, 13 and 14 darts to build a 5–2 advantage and extended his lead to 6–2 with a superb 121 checkout. However, Van Duijvenbode refused to fold. The Dutchman responded with four straight legs of his own to level the match at 6–6, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

With the title on the line, Aspinall held his nerve. He secured a crucial hold of throw in the 13th leg and then completed the job with a clinical 74 checkout on tops, sealing the 8–6 victory and the title.

After the win, Aspinall reflected on the challenge: he admitted that surrendering the 6–2 lead was tense but praised Van Duijvenbode’s fightback. He added that the tournament had been one of his most enjoyable weekends of the year and that lifting a third European Tour trophy gave him a massive boost heading into the European Championship next week.

By winning in Hildesheim, Aspinall becomes only the fifth player to win three European Tour titles in a single year, joining elite names such as Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Luke Humphries and Dave Chisnall. The 34-year-old said he was proud to be among such company and, after years of working towards consistency at this level, believed he had finally found the winning formula.

Van Duijvenbode, although denied the £30,000 top prize, delivered a superb run throughout the event. The Dutchman hit his first televised nine-darter in his opening match against Karel Sedlacek and then produced a stunning 117.74 average to defeat Chris Dobey. He followed this up with narrow wins against German number one Martin Schindler and reigning champion Peter Wright, before easing past Krzysztof Ratajski 7–3 in the semi-finals.

Ratajski’s efforts did not go unrewarded, as his route to the semi-final — which included wins over Felix Springer, Ryan Searle, Ryan Joyce and Dave Chisnall — guaranteed his spot at the European Championship. Van Veen also impressed on his way to the last four, sweeping Jonny Clayton aside 6–1 and averaging over 105 in his quarter-final win against his World Cup teammate Danny Noppert.

Noppert himself staged a comeback from 4–0 down to defeat Gerwyn Price earlier in the day, while other quarter-finalists included Wattimena, Wright and Chisnall. Wattimena had posted a remarkable 111 average in his third-round win against Wessel Nijman, and both Wright and Chisnall found some timely form ahead of Dortmund.

With the European Tour wrapped up for 2025, attention now shifts to the Machineseeker European Championship, which will take place from October 23–26 in Dortmund. A star-studded field of 32 players will battle for continental glory — and Aspinall will arrive as the number one seed and the man in red-hot form.

Aspinall Claims Third European Tour Title of the Season with German Triumph

2025 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Championship

Sunday October 19

Afternoon Session

Round Three

Danny Noppert 6-5 Gerwyn Price

Gian van Veen 6-1 Jonny Clayton

Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Steve Lennon

Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Wessel Nijman

Peter Wright 6-4 Cameron Menzies

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Martin Schindler

Dave Chisnall 6-2 Ricky Evans

Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Ryan Joyce

Evening Session

Quarter-Finals

Gian van Veen 6-3 Danny Noppert

Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Peter Wright

Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Dave Chisnall

Semi-Finals

Nathan Aspinall 7-6 Gian van Veen

Dirk van Duijvenbode 7-3 Krzysztof Ratajski

Final

Nathan Aspinall 8-6 Dirk van Duijvenbode