Van Duijvenbode Sets Up Humphries Showdown as Czech Darts Open Sparks Into Life 

Dirk van Duijvenbode booked his place in the second round of the Gambrinus Czech Darts Open on Friday evening, holding off a spirited fightback from Cor Dekker to seal a 6-4 victory in Prague. The Dutchman looked in complete control when he stormed into a 4-0 lead, but was forced to dig deep as the Norwegian rallied late on. Ultimately, Van Duijvenbode steadied himself to close out the match and earn a meeting with reigning champion Luke Humphries in Saturday’s evening session at the PVA Expo.

The clash with Humphries promises to be one of the standout ties of the round, with the world number one beginning his title defence against a dangerous opponent known for his scoring power and high-energy stage presence.

The opening day in Prague saw 16 first-round matches completed, with the winners now moving on to face the 16 seeded players across Saturday’s double session.

Littler Draws Menzies After Impressive Opening Win

World Champion Luke Littler is also safely through to round two, where he will face Cameron Menzies. The Scot impressed with a 6-3 win over Ian White, averaging 100.91 to cap a strong display.

Menzies, who was delighted with his performance, admitted that the opportunity to face Littler is one he is relishing.

“I’m buzzing to play, in my opinion, the best darts player in the world,” said Menzies. “I’m a massive fan of Luke Humphries, but I feel Littler right now is the man. To play him on this stage tomorrow will be an experience, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Aspinall Makes Winning Return

Nathan Aspinall also progressed with a commanding display, whitewashing Czech qualifier Jiri Brejcha 6-0. The victory marked his first appearance since July’s World Matchplay, and while the scoreline was emphatic, Aspinall admitted he was still finding his feet after several weeks away.

“It felt good to be back after not playing for a while,” he said. “But my rhythm was awful, my throw was terrible—I could tell I hadn’t played for seven weeks. I need to be better tomorrow, otherwise I’ll get hammered by James.”

The 2023 World Matchplay champion now faces fifth seed James Wade in what promises to be a fascinating second-round encounter.

Van Gerwen Awaits De Decker

Another eye-catching fixture will see world number three Michael van Gerwen begin his campaign against Belgium’s Mike De Decker. The World Grand Prix champion impressed with a 100.9 average in his 6-3 triumph over European Champion Ritchie Edhouse.

“This week I changed back to my old set-up and everything feels more comfortable,” De Decker explained. “We all know what Michael’s been through this year, and I get along with him very well. We’ll see tomorrow—if the best version of Michael turns up, I know I’m in for a tough task.”

Wright Returns to Prague

Defending champion Peter Wright begins his quest to retain the title against Slovenia’s Benjamin Pratnemer, who produced one of the shocks of the day by knocking out German number two Ricardo Pietreczko. Wright, who lifted the Czech Darts Open trophy last year, will be eager to rediscover his best form after a turbulent spell on tour.

Elsewhere, Krzysztof Ratajski produced a statement performance by dismantling Raymond van Barneveld 6-1. The Polish star’s dominant display strengthened his position in the provisional qualification race for October’s World Grand Prix. William O’Connor also kept his qualification hopes alive with a narrow 6-5 win over Luke Woodhouse.

Weekend Ahead

Saturday’s schedule will see all 16 seeded players enter the tournament, with winners advancing to Sunday afternoon’s third round. The competition will then reach its climax on Sunday evening, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final set to take place in a blockbuster session.

With reigning champion Humphries, World Champion Littler, and three-time World Champion Van Gerwen all in action, fans in Prague are set for a thrilling weekend of top-class darts. And with several unseeded players showing strong form on day one, the stage is set for more drama and potential upsets as the Czech Darts Open heats up.

Van Duijvenbode Sets Up Humphries Showdown as Czech Darts Open Sparks Into Life 

2025 Gambrinus Czech Darts Open

Friday September 5

Round One

Afternoon Session

Benjamin Pratnemer 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko

Madars Razma 6-3 Lukas Unger

Andrew Gilding 6-5 Darius Labanauskas

Cameron Menzies 6-3 Ian White

Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Brendan Dolan

Ryan Joyce 6-3 Karel Sedlacek

William O’Connor 6-5 Luke Woodhouse

Wessel Nijman 6-5 Richard Veenstra

Evening Session

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Cor Dekker

Ryan Searle 6-2 Filip Manak

Kevin Doets 6-4 Daryl Gurney

Gian van Veen 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven

Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Raymond van Barneveld

Nathan Aspinall 6-0 Jiri Brejcha

Mike De Decker 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse

Niko Springer 6-5 Joe Cullen

Saturday September 6

Round Two

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)

Ross Smith v Andrew Gilding

Martin Schindler v Madars Razma

Damon Heta v Wessel Nijman

Chris Dobey v Jermaine Wattimena

Danny Noppert v Gian van Veen

Dave Chisnall v Ryan Searle

Peter Wright v Benjamin Pratnemer

Jonny Clayton v Ryan Joyce

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)

Rob Cross v Krzysztof Ratajski

Gerwyn Price v Niko Springer

Stephen Bunting v Kevin Doets

James Wade v Nathan Aspinall

Luke Humphries v Dirk van Duijvenbode

Luke Littler v Cameron Menzies

Michael van Gerwen v Mike De Decker

Josh Rock v William O’Connor