Gerwyn Price Clinches Ninth European Tour Title Sending A Statement Ahead Of The World Matchplay
Gerwyn Price Clinches Ninth European Tour Title Sending A Statement Ahead Of The World Matchplay
Gerwyn Price continued his rich vein of form by capturing his ninth European Tour title on Sunday evening, defeating Gary Anderson 8-3 in the final of the Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel.
The Welshman added another accolade to his growing list of achievements at the Wunderino Arena, extending his unbeaten run following last weekend’s Poland Darts Masters success. This latest triumph also marked Price’s fourth ranking title of the 2025 season and his first European Tour win since claiming the International Darts Open crown in 2023.
In the final, Anderson made the stronger start, momentarily silencing the crowd with a bullseye finish on a 90 checkout to edge ahead 2-1. However, the Scottish veteran was soon overwhelmed by a relentless burst of scoring and finishing from Price, who reeled off six consecutive legs to take a commanding 7-2 lead.
Anderson offered a brief flicker of resistance by nailing a classy 125 checkout on the bull to halt the onslaught and make it 7-3, but it proved little more than a consolation. Price responded with clinical precision in the following leg, sealing the victory on double 12 to cap off a dominant weekend in northern Germany.
Reflecting on his title-winning display, Price expressed satisfaction with his overall performance. “I think I played pretty well all weekend, so I’m really chuffed,” he said. “Gary wasn’t at his best in the final and I know I can still play better, but I’m really happy to get over the line and win another European Tour event.”
Price, who now sits level with Peter Wright as the second most successful player in European Tour history, was particularly grateful for the boost in ranking points. “I can’t put into words how much it means to win this, especially in front of such a fantastic crowd,” he added. “I needed some ranking points leading up to the end of the year, so this £30,000 prize money definitely helps!”
With this victory under his belt, the former World Champion will head to the Betfred World Matchplay in Blackpool full of confidence. Price, who was a finalist at the event in 2022, has his eyes firmly fixed on the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy. “I’ve been runner-up before, so now I want to lift that trophy,” he declared. “I’m playing really well at the moment, and winning here definitely gives me momentum.”
Price’s path to the title wasn’t entirely smooth. After cruising past William O’Connor in his opening match, he found himself on the brink of elimination against young Dutchman Wessel Nijman in the last 16. Nijman had two match darts, but Price survived and produced a clutch 119 finish to escape with the win. He then followed up with back-to-back ton-plus averages to defeat Premier League champion Luke Humphries and top-five seed Chris Dobey on his way to the final.
Anderson, meanwhile, enjoyed an impressive run to Sunday’s final, building on his recent resurgence on the European Tour. The Scot opened with a 6-2 victory over Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski, followed by a 6-3 win against in-form Belgian Andy Baetens. In the quarter-finals, Anderson produced a sensational display to dispatch Jonny Clayton 6-1, averaging 108. He then continued his dominant form by overwhelming James Wade 7-1 in the semi-finals.
“I’m happy to reach another final – it’s always a great feeling,” said Anderson after the match. “Gezzy played really well all weekend and deserved the win, but I’ll take the positives and move forward. I’m really looking forward to the World Matchplay now.”
James Wade had also enjoyed a strong tournament, edging Daryl Gurney in a last-leg thriller before eliminating German number one Martin Schindler to reach his second European Tour semi-final of the season. Chris Dobey also impressed in Kiel, taking out former European Champion Ross Smith and averaging over 102 in a comprehensive 6-1 win over Danny Noppert to reach the final four.
The quarter-finals also featured a host of top talents, including world number one Luke Humphries and Wales’ Jonny Clayton, who fired in a 106 average in a high-quality last 16 battle against Josh Rock.
With the Baltic Sea Darts Open concluded, the European Tour will now take a brief pause before returning next month for the second edition of the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp, scheduled for August 29–31.
Gerwyn Price Clinches Ninth European Tour Title Sending A Statement Ahead Of The World Matchplay
Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open
Sunday July 13
Afternoon Session
Third Round
Luke Humphries 6-0 Ryan Searle
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Wessel Nijman
Danny Noppert 6-2 Nathan Aspinall
Chris Dobey 6-3 Ross Smith
Martin Schindler 6-4 Niko Springer
James Wade 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Josh Rock
Gary Anderson 6-3 Andy Baetens
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Luke Humphries
Chris Dobey 6-1 Danny Noppert
James Wade 6-3 Martin Schindler
Gary Anderson 6-1 Jonny Clayton
Semi-Finals
Gerwyn Price 7-3 Chris Dobey
Gary Anderson 7-1 James Wade
Final
Gerwyn Price 8-3 Gary Anderson
