Cameron Menzies put on a dazzling display on the opening day of the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix, while three former champions were eliminated in Sindelfingen. The fifth European Tour stop of the year kicked off with a packed schedule at the Glaspalast, and Menzies made the most of his opportunity, dispatching a determined Raymond van Barneveld 6‑3. The 36‑year‑old Scot closed the match with a spectacular burst of scoring, hitting three successive legs of 11, 13 and 13 darts. He finished the encounter with a 104.5 three‑dart average, marking his fifth consecutive victory over the Dutch legend.
After the win, Menzies said, “I felt tremendous there. I wish I could play like that all the time.” He will now meet former European champion Ross Smith in the second round. Menzies added, “Every time I’ve faced Barney I’ve given it my all, so I probably won’t be on his Christmas card list this year! I love and respect Raymond – he was a hero of mine growing up – but this was arguably my best performance of the season.” Van Barneveld was not the only former world champion to exit early in Sindelfingen.
Both Rob Cross and Peter Wright fell to Mickey Mansell and Jeffrey de Zwaan respectively. Cross, who captured the European Darts Grand Prix title in 2023, was beaten 6‑2 by a clinical Mansell, who posted a 100.32 average and will now face seventh seed Stephen Bunting. De Zwaan earned a hard‑fought win over 2017 champion Wright, setting up a clash with newly crowned German Darts Grand Prix champion Nathan Aspinall.
2019 champion Ian White also crashed out, losing 6‑2 to European Darts Trophy winner Wessel Nijman, who is eyeing a fifth PDC ranking title of 2026 this weekend. In contrast, Kim Huybrechts avoided the fate of Cross, Wright and White, dispatching Dirk van Duijvenbode to keep his hopes of a second European Darts Grand Prix crown alive. German hopeful Niko Springer will meet defending champion Gary Anderson in one of Saturday’s marquee fixtures after opening his campaign with a 6‑1 demolition of newcomer Robin Masino.
Michael Unterbuchner also shone on home soil, hitting three checkouts of 100 or more in a decisive‑leg victory over William O'Connor. That win sets up a showdown with two‑time champion Michael van Gerwen.
Joe Cullen will face top seed Gian van Veen after a comfortable 6‑1 triumph over Maik Kuivenhoven, while Dave Chisnall and Gerwyn Price will meet in another blockbuster tie following Chisnall’s gritty 6‑4 win over Czechia’s Petr Krivka. Keane Barry sealed a 6‑3 victory with precise 124 and 130 checkouts against an in‑form Niels Zonneveld, earning a second‑round encounter with Premier League star Josh Rock.
Kevin Doets, a semi‑finalist in Munich earlier this month, will battle Jermaine Wattimena in an all‑Dutch duel after repelling a late surge from fellow countryman Jurjen van der Velde. Damon Heta navigated a tough opening match against Madars Razma, and now German number one Martin Schindler awaits the Australian on Saturday evening.
There was also cause for celebration for Razma’s World Cup partner Valters Melderis, who edged past Czechia’s top player Karel Sedlacek to become the latest Latvian to claim a win on the big stage. Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak staged a dramatic comeback, surrendering a 5‑1 lead to Daryl Gurney before ultimately clinching the match with his tenth dart. Elsewhere, last year’s runner‑up Andrew Gilding and Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski completed the round‑two lineup after dispatching the host‑nation pair Paul Krohne and Michael Hurtz respectively.
The full results from Friday, April 17, were as follows: **Afternoon session** – Valters Melderis 6‑5 Karel Sedlacek, Wessel Nijman 6‑2 Ian White, Keane Barry 6‑3 Niels Zonneveld, Krzysztof Ratajski 6‑3 Michael Hurtz, Kevin Doets 6‑4 Jurjen van der Velde, Andrew Gilding 6‑3 Paul Krohne, Mickey Mansell 6‑2 Rob Cross, Dave Chisnall 6‑4 Petr Krivka. **Evening session** – Michael Unterbuchner 6‑5 William O'Connor, Joe Cullen 6‑1 Maik Kuivenhoven, Jeffrey de Zwaan 6‑3 Peter Wright, Cameron Menzies 6‑3 Raymond van Barneveld, Damon Heta 6‑4 Madars Razma, Kim Huybrechts 6‑3 Dirk van Duijvenbode, Oskar Lukasiak 6‑5 Daryl Gurney, Niko Springer 6‑1 Robin Masino.
Saturday, April 18, will feature a packed round‑two schedule. In the afternoon session (13:00 local / 12:00 BST) the match‑ups are Mike De Decker v Krzysztof Ratajski, Jermaine Wattimena v Kevin Doets, Ryan Searle v Wessel Nijman, Danny Noppert v Oskar Lukasiak, and Chris Dobey v Andrew Gilding. The evening session (19:00 local / 18:00 BST) includes Ross Smith v Cameron Menzies, Gerwyn Price v Dave Chisnall, Nathan Aspinall v Jeffrey de Zwaan, James Wade v Kim Huybrechts, Gian van Veen v Joe Cullen, Michael van Gerwen v Michael Unterbuchner, Martin Schindler v Damon Heta, and Jonny Clayton v Valters Melderis. Fans can also keep an eye on the Premier League Darts, where Luke Humphries will defend his title.
The competition runs every Thursday until May and is broadcast on Sky Sports. For those who prefer streaming, the NOW platform offers live coverage of Premier League Darts along with a range of other top‑level sporting events.