Menzies Stuns Van Barneveld in European Darts Grand Prix Opener

Cameron Menzies stole the show on the first day of the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix, outshining a determined Raymond van Barneveld in a 6-3 victory. The 36-year-old's impressive display, which included a remarkable late surge, earned him a 104.5 average and sealed his fifth consecutive win over the Dutch legend. Menzies' triumph was marked by a stunning finish, as he reeled off legs of 11, 13, and 13 darts to secure his spot in the next round, where he will face former European Champion Ross Smith. 'I felt incredible out there. I wish I could play like that all the time,' Menzies said, reflecting on his performance. 'I think every time I've played Barney, I've played out of my skin, so I may not be on his Christmas card list this year!' Van Barneveld was not the only former World Champion to suffer an early exit in Sindelfingen, as Rob Cross and Peter Wright were defeated by Mickey Mansell and Jeffrey de Zwaan, respectively. Mansell's clinical 6-2 win over Cross, which included a 100.32 average, set up a showdown against seventh seed Stephen Bunting, while De Zwaan's hard-fought victory over Wright earned him a meeting with newly-crowned German Darts Grand Prix champion Nathan Aspinall. 2019 champion Ian White also crashed out of the Glaspalast, losing 6-2 to European Darts Trophy champion Wessel Nijman, who is seeking his fifth PDC ranking title of 2026 this weekend. However, a resurgent Kim Huybrechts avoided the same fate as Cross, Wright, and White, claiming the scalp of Dirk van Duijvenbode to begin his bid for a second European Darts Grand Prix crown. German star Niko Springer will face defending champion Gary Anderson in one of Saturday's standout fixtures, after opening his campaign with a 6-1 thumping of newcomer Robin Masino. Michael Unterbuchner also impressed on home soil, landing a hat-trick of ton-plus checkouts during his deciding-leg success against William O'Connor. Unterbuchner's second win on the European Tour stage sets up a clash against two-time champion Michael van Gerwen, while Joe Cullen will play top seed Gian van Veen following a routine 6-1 win over Maik Kuivenhoven. Dave Chisnall and Gerwyn Price will lock horns in another blockbuster tie, after the eight-time European Tour winner closed out a gruelling 6-4 victory against Czechia's Petr Krivka. Keane Barry converted clinical 124 and 130 checkouts to seal a 6-3 success against an in-form Niels Zonneveld, which sets up an enticing clash against Premier League star Josh Rock in round two. Kevin Doets - a semi-finalist in Munich earlier this month - will face Jermaine Wattimena in an all-Dutch affair after fending off a valiant fightback from compatriot Jurjen van der Velde. Damon Heta navigated his way through a tough opening assignment against Madars Razma, and German number one Martin Schindler now awaits the Australian on Saturday evening. Nevertheless, there was joy for Razma's World Cup partner Valters Melderis, who edged past Czechia's number one Karel Sedlacek to become the latest Latvian to triumph on the big stage. Sweden's Oskar Lukasiak also advanced in dramatic fashion, relinquishing a 5-1 lead against Daryl Gurney before eventually sealing the win with his tenth match dart. Elsewhere, last year's runner-up Andrew Gilding and Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski completed the round two line-up, after defeating Host Nation duo Paul Krohne and Michael Hurtz respectively. The action continues on Saturday, with a number of high-profile clashes taking place. Who will emerge victorious in this year's Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will be defending his title, and you can watch the action every single Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.