Cameron Menzies stole the show on the opening day of the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix, while three former champions made an early exit in Sindelfingen. Menzies put on a dazzling display, overpowering a determined Raymond van Barneveld 6-3. The 36-year-old finished strongly, winning legs of 11, 13, and 13 darts to secure a 104.5 average and his fifth consecutive victory over the Dutch legend. 'I felt incredible out there.
I wish I could play like that all the time,' Menzies said, who will face former European Champion Ross Smith in the next round. Van Barneveld wasn't the only former World Champion to bow out, as Rob Cross and Peter Wright lost to Mickey Mansell and Jeffrey de Zwaan, respectively. Cross, the 2023 European Darts Grand Prix champion, was beaten 6-2 by a clinical Mansell, who averaged 100.32 to set up a showdown against seventh seed Stephen Bunting. De Zwaan accounted for 2017 winner Wright in a hard-fought encounter and will meet newly-crowned German Darts Grand Prix champion Nathan Aspinall next.
2019 champion Ian White also crashed out, losing 6-2 to European Darts Trophy champion Wessel Nijman, who is eyeing his fifth PDC ranking title of 2026. Kim Huybrechts, however, 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, setting up an enticing clash against Premier League star Josh Rock in round two. Kevin Doets 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.