The Poland Darts Open delivered high-stakes action as Dutch talent Gian van Veen narrowly escaped a tough battle against Andrew Gilding to secure his spot in the last 16. Meanwhile, fellow Dutchman Niels Zonneveld faced a challenging encounter with Stephen Bunting and was ultimately sent packing after a hard-fought match.
Zonneveld’s Polish Challenge Ends Against ‘The Bullet’
Niels Zonneveld, who has impressively climbed into the Pro Tour’s top 32 after a strong 2025 season, experienced a typical European Tour second day. Following a solid victory over Piotr Maciejczak, Zonneveld stepped onto the stage on Saturday evening to face England’s Stephen Bunting. Despite Bunting’s rocky start to the Premier League season, which might have given Zonneveld a glimmer of hope, the match proved to be a stern test.
Zonneveld started brightly, securing the first leg with a 15-darter. However, the momentum soon shifted. After four crucial misses on the doubles, Zonneveld relinquished the initiative, allowing Bunting to take a 2-1 lead. Zonneveld quickly responded, levelling the score with a sharp 70-finish.
The middle stages of the match saw ‘Triple Z’ falter on his finishing. In the subsequent two legs, he missed key darts at tops from 118 and 135, moments Bunting ruthlessly exploited to build a significant advantage. ‘The Bullet’ maintained this lead, despite Zonneveld managing to pull back two more legs. The Dutchman’s tournament hopes ultimately ended in leg ten when he missed the bull for an 86-finish, allowing Bunting to hit double 10 and seal a 6-4 victory. Bunting will now return to Krakow for Sunday’s action.
Match Statistics: Stephen Bunting vs. Niels Zonneveld
- Stephen Bunting: Average 88.06 / Double Percentage 26.1%
- Niels Zonneveld: Average 90.52 / Double Percentage 20%
Van Veen Survives Nail-Biting Decider Against Gilding
The final match of Saturday at the European Tour 2026 saw Gian van Veen take to the oche. As the world number three, Van Veen carries a different level of expectation to tournaments across Europe this year, and his match in Poland immediately put his ability to handle that pressure to the test against Andrew Gilding.
Van Veen endured a sluggish start, missing three crucial darts at the doubles, which allowed ‘Goldfinger’ Gilding to comfortably grab the first two legs. However, the young Dutchman quickly found his rhythm, erasing the deficit with impressive legs in 18, 14, and 17 darts. Despite this strong recovery, Van Veen soon found himself trailing once more.
Gilding managed to take a 4-3 lead, highlighted by a brilliant 130-finish on the bull. Van Veen responded powerfully, immediately hitting back with an 11-darter. In what should have been a straightforward leg to reach match point, Van Veen found the doubles increasingly elusive. He had seven darts at the outer ring, finally hitting his target with the seventh attempt. Gilding then showed his class, forcing a decisive final leg with a quick 12-darter. Ultimately, it was Van Veen who emerged victorious, sealing the dramatic encounter with a 19-darter in the last leg of the day to advance.
Match Statistics: Gian van Veen vs. Andrew Gilding
- Gian van Veen: Average 95.28 / Double Percentage 24%
- Andrew Gilding: Average 96.54 / Double Percentage 45.5%
Source: Based on an article from Darts Actueel.
