Veenstra Denies Springer in Swiss Darts Trophy Thriller on the opening day

The 2025 Swiss Darts Trophy opened in dramatic fashion on Friday evening in Basel, with Richard Veenstra edging out in-form German talent Niko Springer in a final-leg decider. The contest provided an early highlight as the penultimate European Tour event of the year got underway at the St Jakobshalle.

Springer, who arrived in Switzerland riding a wave of confidence after his breakthrough victory at the Hungarian Darts Trophy the previous weekend, looked determined to continue his rise. The 22-year-old began brightly, firing in an 11-darter to showcase his scoring power. However, it was Veenstra who seized the early initiative, racing into a 4-1 advantage and threatening to put the tie out of reach.

The young German refused to buckle, hitting key finishes of 120, 94, and 86 to haul himself level at 4-4. Springer then moved ahead for the first time by edging the ninth leg, only for Veenstra to respond with a stunning 156 checkout that shifted the momentum once more. With the match finely balanced, the Dutchman kept his nerve, finishing 76 to snatch the decider and claim his spot in round two, where he will take on 2018 world champion Rob Cross.

Elsewhere on the opening day, several big names cruised through with dominant displays. Former Premier League champion Nathan Aspinall produced a ruthless whitewash against Denmark’s Andreas Toft Jorgensen, with the qualifier failing to register a single dart at a double. Aspinall now faces Jonny Clayton in what promises to be a high-quality second-round battle.

Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski also advanced in style, dispatching Owen Bates 6-0 to strengthen his hopes of sealing a place at the upcoming BoyleSports World Grand Prix. His next assignment comes against Belgium’s Mike De Decker. Another seasoned campaigner, Raymond van Barneveld, delighted the Basel crowd with a trademark 120 checkout in his victory over Swiss hopeful Ansh Sood, setting up a clash with Australia’s Damon Heta.

William O’Connor joined the list of standout performers, averaging over 102 in a convincing 6-1 triumph against Daryl Gurney. Despite a brief rally from Gurney, which included a 117 finish, the Irishman was never truly troubled and remains in the hunt for Grand Prix qualification.

Defending European Champion Ritchie Edhouse endured a nervy encounter against Dutch youngster Wessel Nijman but squeezed through 6-5 with an 80 checkout in the decider. He has since been handed a bye into the third round after Ross Smith withdrew from the tournament due to family reasons.

The German contingent enjoyed a strong evening. Ricardo Pietreczko impressed with three ton-plus finishes to overcome Oskar Lukasiak of Sweden, booking a second-round meeting with World Cup teammate Martin Schindler. Meanwhile, Luke Woodhouse mounted one of the day’s most spirited comebacks, overturning a 3-0 deficit against Lukas Wenig before sealing a dramatic deciding-leg victory that earned him a tie with Dave Chisnall.

Other notable results included Austria’s Mensur Suljovic hitting six doubles from just 11 attempts in a composed win over Martin Lukeman, setting up a clash with Chris Dobey. Chris Landman quelled a spirited comeback from Swiss debutant Denis Schnetzer to prevail 6-3, while Jermaine Wattimena ended the run of Swiss number one Stefan Bellmont with a clinical 6-1 success. Wattimena now faces World Cup winner Josh Rock.

Further down the draw, Dirk van Duijvenbode beat fellow Dutchman Jitse van der Wal 6-2 to arrange a meeting with Gian van Veen, while Callan Rydz averaged over 100 in a 6-1 demolition of Connor Scutt to secure a mouth-watering tie against world number one Luke Humphries. Niels Zonneveld, Cor Dekker, and Ryan Joyce also booked second-round places, with Joyce whitewashing Swiss qualifier Rocco Fulciniti.

With the seeds entering the fray on Saturday, the action in Basel is set to intensify. The afternoon and evening sessions will determine the last-16 lineup before the tournament builds towards its conclusion on Sunday, when the third round, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will all be contested in a blockbuster finale.

Veenstra Denies Springer in Swiss Darts Trophy Thriller on the opening day 

2025 Swiss Darts Trophy

Friday September 26

Round One

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)

Callan Rydz 6-1 Connor Scutt

Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Dalibor Smolik

Krzysztof Ratajski 6-0 Owen Bates

Cor Dekker 6-3 Andrew Gilding

Ryan Joyce 6-0 Rocco Fulciniti

Luke Woodhouse 6-5 Lukas Wenig

Ricardo Pietreczko 6-3 Oskar Lukasiak

Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Martin Lukeman

Evening Session

Chris Landman 6-3 Denis Schnetzer

Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Wessel Nijman

Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Ansh Sood

Richard Veenstra 6-5 Niko Springer

Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Stefan Bellmont

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Jitse van der Wal

Nathan Aspinall 6-0 Andreas Toft Jorgensen

William O’Connor 6-1 Daryl Gurney

Saturday September 27

Round Two

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)`

Ryan Searle v Niels Zonneveld

Dave Chisnall v Luke Woodhouse

Peter Wright v Cor Dekker

Mike De Decker v Krzysztof Ratajski

Rob Cross v Richard Veenstra

Gian van Veen v Dirk van Duijvenbode

Danny Noppert v William O’Connor

Ritchie Edhouse Bye (Ross Smith withdrawn)

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)

James Wade v Ryan Joyce

Martin Schindler v Ricardo Pietreczko

Josh Rock v Jermaine Wattimena

Luke Humphries v Callan Rydz

Jonny Clayton v Nathan Aspinall

Damon Heta v Raymond van Barneveld

Stephen Bunting v Chris Landman

Chris Dobey v Mensur Suljovic