This week in darts brought a flurry of exciting action across the globe! We saw incredible performances from Jaimy van de Weerd and Paul Krohne securing double victories in Antwerp, while German youth players dominated the WDF Youth Weekend in Denmark. Ryuta Arihara made history on the PDC Asian Tour with an astounding three tournament wins, and Neil Duff claimed his second “Double Trouble” title on the Modus Darts Super Series. Plus, find out about new sponsors, player insurance, and the final qualifiers for the WDF World Championship!
Antwerp Shines: Van de Weerd and Krohne Claim Double Glory
Antwerp hosted two thrilling WDF Silver-ranked tournaments, the Antwerp Open and the Belgium Open, where players from across Europe battled for supremacy. German players, in particular, showcased strong performances.
Antwerp Open Highlights
- Men’s Champion: Jaimy van de Weerd secured the title with a 5-1 victory over Paul Krohne. Van de Weerd, a “Next Gen” winner, impressively defeated notable players like Corné Groeneveld and Jarno Bottenberg en route to his win.
- Women’s Champion: Kirsi Viinikainen triumphed over Aileen de Graaf with a dominant 5-0 final score.
- German Champion Lena Zollikofer reached the quarter-finals.
- Youth titles went to Jason Goossens and Silke Venhe, with Loisa Thöle and Markus Schmidt reaching the semi-finals.
Belgium Open Highlights
- Men’s Champion: Paul Krohne avenged his Antwerp Open loss by clinching the Belgium Open title. He delivered a flawless performance in the final, hitting a 106 checkout to whitewash Jerry Hendriks 5-0. This victory significantly boosts Krohne’s ranking, bringing him closer to WDF World Number 1 Mitchell Lawrie.
- Women’s Champion: Kirsi Viinikainen achieved her second title of the weekend, once again defeating Aileen de Graaf 5-1 in the final.
- German Irina Armstrong reached the quarter-finals.
- Youth champions were Mason Teese and Paige Pauling.
German Youth Stars Conquer Denmark
The International WDF Youth Challenge in Denmark was a massive success for German players, who dominated the podiums.
IYC Denmark (Gold Event)
This event was largely a German affair, showcasing the strength of their youth talent.
- Boys’ Champion: Raphael Küther delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over fellow German Béla Janas in the final. Nicardo Pieper and Johann Hassheider, also from Germany, reached the semi-finals.
- Girls’ Champion: Merve Hummel secured her title with a 5-1 win against Leonie Treisch, with Panagiota Kentzidou reaching the semi-finals.
IYC Denmark Open (Gold Event)
Due to high participation, this event was upgraded to a Gold-ranked tournament, offering valuable ranking points.
- Boys’ Champion: Raphael Küther clinched his second title, once again defeating Béla Janas in a closer 5-4 final.
- Girls’ Champion: Merve Hummel also earned her second title, beating Panagiota Kentzidou 5-1.
- Triple Crown for Küther: Raphael Küther completed an impressive triple victory by also winning the International Darts School League!
PDC Asian Tour: Ryuta Arihara’s Unprecedented Dominance
Ryuta Arihara delivered a truly sensational performance at events 21-24 of the PDC Asian Tour in Manila, capturing three out of four titles and making a significant impact on the rankings.
Event Winners:
- Event 21: Lok Yin Lee was the first champion of the weekend, defeating Takayuki Masatsu 5-3 (averages: Lee 92.35, Masatsu 93.18).
- Event 22: Ryuta Arihara began his winning streak with a dominant 5-0 victory over Jeffrey Pinas (averages: Arihara 90.54, Pinas 86.52).
- Event 23: Ryuta Arihara continued his success, narrowly beating Paolo Nebrida 5-4 (averages: Arihara 88.69, Nebrida 84.24).
- Event 24: Ryuta Arihara secured his third title, defeating Christian Perez 5-1 (averages: Arihara 95.29, Perez 75.87).
Impact and Records:
- Incredible Winning Streak: Arihara’s victories extend his winning streak to an astonishing 22 consecutive matches. This feat echoes Lourence Ilagan, who also won three Asian Tour events in a row in 2019.
- Ranking Leap: With his stellar performance, Arihara surged from 10th to 3rd place in the rankings, now holding $15,250. He is hot on the heels of Christian Perez ($15,650) and Motomu Sakai ($15,400).
- PDC World Championship Qualification: Currently, Haruki Muramatsu ($14,750) and Man Lok Leung ($13,250) are also in qualification spots for the prestigious PDC World Championship.
- Record-Breaking Participation: Event 21 set new series records with 227 participants and an overall tournament average of 77.25.
- Next Steps: The final four Asian Tour events will take place on September 12th and 13th in Changjiang, China.
Modus Darts Super Series: Neil Duff’s “Double Trouble” Triumph
The special “Double Trouble Week” of the Modus Darts Super Series saw familiar faces battling for glory, with Neil Duff emerging victorious once again.
- Champion: Neil Duff secured his second “Double Trouble Week” title, defeating Keegan Brown 4-3 in a thrilling final (averages: Duff 77.06, Brown 72.27).
- Semi-Finalists: Fallon Sherrock and Steve West reached the semi-final stage.
- Other Finals Night Contenders: Scott Mitchell and Simon Whitlock also competed in the Finals Night.
- The 15th regular season of the Modus Darts Super Series has now commenced, promising more exciting darts action.
WDF Philippines Open: Lakeside Spots Secured
Before the Asian Tour weekend, the WDF Philippines Open, a Gold-ranked event, took place in Manila, offering direct qualification spots for the prestigious Lakeside WDF World Championship.
Men’s Champion:
- Terry Jun Hao Tan will make his debut at the Lakeside World Championship after an incredibly close 6-5 victory over Haruki Muramatsu in the final. Muramatsu showcased exceptional form with a strong 99.49 average, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win (final averages: Tan 93.75, Muramatsu 99.49).
- Notable players like Lourence Ilagan (last 16), Paolo Nebrida, Yoshihisa Baba, Tomoya Goto (last 32), and Christian Perez (last 64) also competed.
Women’s Champion:
- Lovely-Mae Orbeta claimed the women’s title, defeating Kosuzu Iwao 5-3 in the final (final averages: Orbeta 70.64, Iwao 68.72).
PDC Europe Start: New Season Kicks Off
The first results from the inaugural week of the PDC Europe Start have begun to arrive, marking the beginning of their new season. Weekly updates on this series are anticipated.
Other Darts Highlights
DDV Bundesliga Welcomes New Sponsor
The German Darts Federation (DDV) has announced an exciting new sponsorship for the DDV Bundesliga, with Winmau joining Winsport for the upcoming season. This partnership is set to further bolster the league.
Beau Greaves’ Million-Pound Eyes
Following her third sensational victory at the Women’s World Matchplay, darts prodigy Beau Greaves has reportedly insured her eyes for a staggering £1 million! A testament to her incredible talent and value in the sport.
WDF World Championship Final Qualifiers
The last remaining coveted spots for the WDF World Championship will be fiercely contested on Sunday, November 1st.
- Available Spots: Two tickets will be awarded for the Open category (seniors), two for the youth category, one for women, and one for girls.
- The day before, the Lakeside Open, a WDF Silver-ranked event, will serve as the concluding tournament of the WDF season.
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
