The European Championship 2025 kicked off with fireworks in Dortmund as several of the world’s top stars were eliminated in the opening round. Fans were treated to drama, world-class performances, and plenty of surprises – setting the tone for what promises to be an unpredictable tournament.

Michael van Gerwen faced an early scare against fellow Dutchman Wessel Nijman. Nijman led 4–2 and had match darts to seal victory, but van Gerwen showed his trademark composure, clawing back to win in a deciding leg.

Daryl Gurney caused one of the first upsets of the night, defeating Gerwyn Price 6–3. Price, who has been in strong form lately, struggled badly on doubles – hitting just 3 out of 17 – and crashed out earlier than expected.

Stephen Bunting produced one of the best performances of the evening with a 109.2 average but still lost 6–3 to Chris Dobey, who fired on all cylinders with a 105.7 average and nearly 60 % success on doubles. It was world-class darts and a reminder of how fine the margins are at this level.

Germany’s Martin Schindler gave the home crowd something to celebrate, rallying from 0–3 down against Dave Chisnall to win 6–5 in an emotional comeback.

Elsewhere, Jonny Clayton was beaten 6–3 by Ryan Searle, while Peter Wright’s struggles continued as he lost 6–2 to Ross Smith. Wright has slipped towards 30th in the rankings, while Smith earned praise for his focus and consistency.

Rising Dutch star Gian van Veen beat Damon Heta 6–3, and Ryan Joyce joined him in the next round after defeating Luke Woodhouse with a superb 122 checkout.

After just one night, it’s clear that this year’s European Championship could be one of the most open in recent memory. Several favorites are already out, while Schindler, Smith, and Dobey look ready to make deep runs.

Day Two Fixtures – European Championship 2025:

Nico Springer vs. Jermaine Wattimena
Gary Anderson vs. Cameron Menzies
James Wade vs. Mike De Decker
Josh Rock vs. Ricardo Pietreczko
Luke Humphries vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
Luke Littler vs. Raymond van Barneveld
Nathan Aspinall vs. Rob Cross
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Danny Noppert