Nathan Aspinall masters Munich to seal the German Darts Grand Prix “Munich gave me the love for darts again”
Nathan Aspinall masters Munich to seal the German Darts Grand Prix “Munich gave me the love for darts again”
Nathan Aspinall secured his fourth European Tour title with a hard-fought 8-5 victory over Danny Noppert in Monday’s Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix final.
The Stockport thrower, who enjoyed a hugely successful 2025 season on the European Tour, returned to the winner’s circle in Munich, overcoming a determined fightback from Noppert to claim the £35,000 top prize at the Zenith. Aspinall produced a high-quality display in the final, averaging 100.35 and landing seven maximums to deny the Dutchman a maiden European Tour title.
The contest itself ebbed and flowed. After falling 5-4 behind, Aspinall responded in emphatic fashion, reeling off four consecutive legs to seize control and ultimately close out victory. His finishing proved crucial in the closing stages, most notably a superb 128 checkout that sealed the title in style.
Aspinall’s triumph capped a remarkable run through the tournament, particularly considering how close he came to an early exit. In his opening match, he survived a match dart against Ricardo Pietreczko, a moment that ultimately proved pivotal in shaping his title charge.
On Finals Day, Aspinall began by overcoming Martin Schindler, producing a dominant burst of scoring to win six consecutive legs after trailing early. That victory set the tone for the day, as he followed it up with a battling 6-4 win over Andrew Gilding in the quarter-finals.
His best performance arguably came in the semi-finals, where he swept aside Kevin Doets with a commanding 7-2 win. Averaging 106.40, Aspinall ended a frustrating run of six straight defeats against the Dutchman, producing a clinical display to book his place in the final.
That set up a compelling showdown with Noppert, and early on it looked as though Aspinall would run away with the match. An 11-dart leg followed by a brilliant 108 checkout helped him race into a 4-1 lead, putting him firmly in control.
However, Noppert had other ideas. Capitalising on a brief dip in Aspinall’s doubling, the Dutchman strung together four consecutive legs to turn the match on its head and move 5-4 in front. At that stage, momentum had firmly swung in his favour.
Yet Aspinall refused to be denied. Demonstrating resilience and composure, he responded with legs of 13, 12 and 15 darts to regain control at 7-5. From there, he made no mistake, pinning the decisive 128 checkout to secure the title and cap off a superb performance.
Reflecting on his victory, Aspinall said: “I am absolutely buzzing.
“I’ve had a lot of knockbacks this year. I’ve been trying to keep myself motivated and sometimes it’s hard, but nights like tonight are why we play this game.
“I’ve not got the best of records against Kevin and Danny of late, certainly Kevin.
“To get one over Kevin was great, but playing Danny in the final – he is so good!
“He’s such a fantastic dart player. Obviously I was 4-1 up, then he battled back and went 5-4 up, but I found that fighting spirit this weekend.
“I did an interview on Saturday saying I was trying to find that love for the game again, but Munich gave me the love for darts again.”
For Noppert, it was another strong showing on the European Tour, as he reached his fourth final at this level. His journey over the Easter weekend began with a deciding-leg victory against Ritchie Edhouse, setting the tone for a consistent run.
On Finals Day, Noppert was in impressive form, dropping just five legs across three matches as he defeated Karel Sedlacek, Jonny Clayton and Krzysztof Ratajski to reach the final.
“I’m really happy to be in the final again,” said Noppert.
“I didn’t show up in the final and Nathan was the deserved winner.
“I always believe in [winning] a title. I don’t know when, but I’m proud to reach the final.
“Of course I wanted to lift the title. There is another level I can go to, and I am pushing myself hard every time.”
Elsewhere, Ratajski enjoyed a strong run to the semi-finals, producing consistent performances to defeat Ryan Searle and Ross Smith, as well as a convincing win over Michael Smith in the quarter-finals.
Doets was another standout performer, reaching his first European Tour semi-final. The Dutchman delivered a series of eye-catching displays, including 170 checkouts in earlier rounds, while averaging 107.7 and hitting ten 180s in a thrilling win over Dirk van Duijvenbode.
He then edged past Niels Zonneveld in a dramatic quarter-final, surviving three match darts to progress. Zonneveld himself impressed, reaching a third consecutive European Tour quarter-final and averaging over 103 in his victory against Josh Rock earlier in the day.
Other quarter-finalists included Gilding, Smith and Welsh number one Clayton, who produced one of the matches of the tournament in his win over Kim Huybrechts, averaging 104.78 in a high-quality encounter.
Attention now turns to the next phase of the PDC calendar, with the ProTour season resuming in Wigan for a Players Championship double-header on April 13-14. The European Tour will then continue shortly after, with the next event taking place in Sindelfingen from April 17-19, as the race for titles and ranking points intensifies.
Nathan Aspinall masters Munich to seal the German Darts Grand Prix
2026 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix
Monday April 6
Round Three
Afternoon Session
Danny Noppert 6-2 Karel Sedlacek
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Ross Smith
Michael Smith 6-4 Niko Springer
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Josh Rock
Kevin Doets 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Martin Schindler
Andrew Gilding 6-1 William O’Connor
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Danny Noppert 6-1 Jonny Clayton
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Michael Smith
Kevin Doets 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Semi-Finals
Danny Noppert 7-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
Nathan Aspinall 7-2 Kevin Doets
Final
Nathan Aspinall 8-5 Danny Noppert
