Dutch darts stars Jermaine Wattimena and Wessel Nijman have secured their spots on the final day of the Poland Darts Open after a thrilling Saturday afternoon. Wattimena emerged victorious from an all-Dutch showdown, narrowly defeating Danny Noppert in a last-leg decider. Meanwhile, Nijman delivered a dominant performance, comfortably seeing off two-time world champion Gary Anderson with a commanding 6-2 win. Both players showcased exceptional form, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
Wattimena Edges Noppert in Nail-Biting Dutch Derby
The second day of the inaugural Euro Tour event in Poland saw an eagerly anticipated clash between Dutch compatriots Jermaine Wattimena and the tenth-seeded Danny Noppert. Wattimena, who had already secured a 6-4 win against Poland’s Miroslaw Grudziecki on Friday, faced a significant challenge in Noppert.
The match was a rollercoaster from start to finish, characterized by high-quality darts and dramatic shifts in momentum:
- The opening two legs went with the throw, indicating a tight contest.
- Wattimena secured the first break of throw in the third leg. Noppert famously missed five crucial darts at a double, allowing Wattimena to capitalize with a 17-dart leg and take the lead.
- Noppert immediately retaliated, breaking straight back with a sharp 15-dart leg.
- The pattern of breaks continued as Wattimena responded with a superb 12-darter, only for Noppert to level the score once more with a 13-dart leg, making it 3-3.
Following this flurry of breaks, the next four legs went with the throw, setting up a tense finale. This included a solid 66-finish from Wattimena and a spectacular 10-darter from Noppert, demonstrating the high level of play. With the score locked at 5-5, a decisive eleventh leg was required to determine the winner.
In the ultimate test of nerves, Noppert had the first two match darts but agonizingly missed them. ‘The Machine Gun’ Wattimena seized this golden opportunity, calmly hitting double 9 to claim a thrilling 6-5 victory. Wattimena now looks ahead to Sunday afternoon’s Last 16, where he will face either Stephen Bunting or fellow Dutchman Niels Zonneveld.
Match Statistics: Wattimena vs. Noppert
- Jermaine Wattimena: Average 100.73 / Checkout Percentage 50%
- Danny Noppert: Average 103.11 / Checkout Percentage 31.3%
Nijman Dominates Anderson with Flawless Performance
Shortly after the Dutch derby, Wessel Nijman stepped up to face the formidable two-time world champion, Gary Anderson. Nijman had already shown strong form on Friday evening, overcoming Thomas Lovely 6-3 in his opening round match.
Nijman started his match against Anderson with remarkable confidence and precision, a significant improvement from his first-round performance. Although ‘The Flying Scotsman’ took the first leg in 14 darts, Nijman then unleashed an incredible run, winning five consecutive legs with dart counts of 13, 12, 13, 21, and 14. This dominant streak quickly put him in a commanding position.
Anderson managed to pull one leg back with another 14-darter, but it was too little, too late. Nijman remained unfazed, sealing his victory with another sub-14-dart leg to win the match convincingly 6-2. Just like Wattimena and Noppert, Nijman also registered an impressive average above 100, highlighting the exceptional standard of play at the tournament.
Nijman continues his impressive run on Sunday afternoon, where he will meet another Scot, Cameron Menzies, in the Last 16. Menzies secured his spot with a dominant 6-0 whitewash over an out-of-sorts James Wade.
Match Statistics: Nijman vs. Anderson
- Wessel Nijman: Average 103.46 / Checkout Percentage 42.9%
- Gary Anderson: Average 97.21 / Checkout Percentage 18.2%
Source: Based on an article from Darts Actueel.
