Cameron Menzies stole the show on the opening day of the European Darts Grand Prix, producing a scintillating performance to defeat Raymond van Barneveld 6-3. Menzies' impressive display, which included a remarkable late surge with legs of 11, 13, and 13 darts, secured his fifth consecutive win over the Dutch legend and set up a second-round clash with former European Champion Ross Smith. The 36-year-old's triumph was part of a dramatic day that saw three former champions - Rob Cross, Peter Wright, and Ian White - crash out of the competition. Cross, the 2023 European Darts Grand Prix champion, was beaten 6-2 by Mickey Mansell, while Wright lost 6-3 to Jeffrey de Zwaan.
White, the 2019 champion, suffered a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Wessel Nijman. However, it wasn't all bad news for the former winners, as Kim Huybrechts avoided an early exit by claiming a 6-3 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode. The Belgian will now face James Wade in the second round. Other notable results from the opening day included Niko Springer's 6-1 thrashing of Robin Masino, which set up a meeting with defending champion Gary Anderson, and Michael Unterbuchner's deciding-leg victory over William O'Connor.
Unterbuchner's win, which included three ton-plus checkouts, earned him a clash with two-time champion Michael van Gerwen. The second round gets underway on Saturday, with a host of mouth-watering ties, including Gerwyn Price vs Dave Chisnall, Nathan Aspinall vs Jeffrey de Zwaan, and Gian van Veen vs Joe Cullen. The action continues until May, and you can watch it all on Sky Sports or stream it with NOW.