Saturday night in Hildesheim got off to a scorching start and never cooled down, as the final batch of star-studded round two fixtures lit up the German Darts Championship. In what was comfortably one of the highest-quality sessions of the Euro Tour season so far, the packed Halle 39 arena witnessed eight matches of pure tungsten theatre. Let’s take a look at how it all unfolded.
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Ross Smith 4–6 Nathan Aspinall
A contest worthy of any final – and it delivered exactly the level of quality we all expected. The Asp came flying out of the gates, storming into a 3–0 lead with breathtaking precision. It could easily have been four-nil, but Smudger produced a crucial 120 checkout to stay alive. From there, the former European Champion fought back admirably, and in what became a bit of a maximum-fest – both players landing five apiece – it was Aspinall who found that extra gear. With a colossal 107.53 average, and the bill for his fiance, Kirsty’s wedding dress waiting when he returns home, it’s a handy payday. It’s Steve Lennon up next.
Jonny Clayton 6–3 Raymond van Barneveld
The Welsh maestro remains on course for his second Euro Tour title of the season after a composed victory over Barney. The legendary Dutchman seemed to enjoy his opponent’s Chuck Berry walk-on, even throwing in a cheeky little jig before the handshakes. And early on, he had reason to dance – taking a 2–0 lead. But the scoring power soon deserted him, and The Ferret pounced. Despite leaving himself on double two more often than he’d like, Clayton was in full control at the business end of legs and moves on to face Gian van Veen.
Gerwyn Price 6–1 Christian Kist
The Iceman breezed past former Lakeside Champion Kist to set up a tasty meeting with Danny Noppert. Kist wasn’t poor by any means – he just couldn’t carve out enough chances to trouble the Welshman. Despite averaging over a ton, Price will feel there’s still plenty left in the tank, and tomorrow’s all-Welsh clash of national number twos could be a cracker.
James Wade 3–6 Jermaine Wattimena
Fresh off his Players Championship triumph, Wattimena produced another strong showing to come from 3–1 down and book his spot in the last sixteen – where he’ll face fellow Dutchman Wessel Nijman. Wade began superbly and looked on course for a record average before his trebles suddenly vanished. Wattimena, meanwhile, found his rhythm, and a majestic 164 checkout proved the turning point. From there, The Machine Gun finished the job and marched through.
Chris Dobey 2–6 Dirk van Duijvenbode
The Aubergenius was on another level, averaging just shy of 118 in a jaw-dropping demolition of Dobey. The Geordie didn’t play badly at all – he simply ran into a freight train. Dirk, who hit a nine-darter yesterday, was on absolute fire, missing only one double all match. Maybe Wattimena’s “most complete Dutchman” claim didn’t go unnoticed – because Dirk looked every bit the finished article tonight.
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Martin Schindler 6–4 William O’Connor
Heartbreak for O’Connor, who surrendered a commanding 4–1 lead before watching Schindler rattle off five legs on the spin to crush his European Championship hopes. The German number one, roared on by a partisan Halle 39 crowd, dug deep and delivered a brilliant comeback on home soil. He’ll now face Van Duijvenbode in what promises to be a heavyweight clash.
Josh Rock 2–6 Ricky Evans
Lightning struck twice for Rapid Ricky Evans, who defeated Rocky for the second time in a matter of days to secure his first Euro Tour Sunday appearance in three years. Both men posted similar scoring numbers, but Evans’ clinical doubling – against Rock’s missed chances – made all the difference. In Ricky’s own words, he’s playing on “a free hit” after sneaking in from the reserve list. So far, he’s making the most of it. Dave Chisnall awaits.
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Stephen Bunting 4–6 Ryan Joyce
Top seed The Bullet had to wait until the night’s finale to make his entrance – but it wasn’t a happy outing. Joyce came out firing and could easily have gone 5–1 up if not for the width of a wire. Bunting showed flashes of form late on, but the damage was already done. Relentless Ryan closed it out with composure to end the Scouser’s Euro Tour campaign.
A pulsating evening in Hildesheim ended with more 100+ averages than you could count – and, remarkably, four players still lost despite hitting the ton. The standard was sky-high, the crowd electric, and the German Darts Championship is shaping up to deliver an unforgettable finale on Sunday.
PDC German Darts Championship 2025
Sunday - Third Round Matches
(6) Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert (11)
(3) Jonny Clayton v Gian van Veen (14)
Steve Lennon v Nathan Aspinall
Jermaine Wattimena v Wessel Nijman
(12) Peter Wright v Cameron Menzies
(13) Martin Schindler v Dirk van Duijvenbode
(9) Dave Chisnall v Ricky Evans
Ryan Joyce v Krzysztof Ratajski
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