The European Darts Grand Prix kicked off with a thrilling day of action at the Glaspalast in Sindelfingen, as Cameron Menzies stole the show with a dazzling display against Raymond van Barneveld. Menzies' impressive 6-3 win saw him average 104.5 and secure his fifth consecutive victory over the Dutch legend. Menzies reflected on his performance, saying, 'I felt incredible out there. I wish I could play like that all the time.' He also shared his admiration for van Barneveld, stating, 'I love and respect Raymond.
He was a hero of mine growing up, but that was arguably my best game this year.' The day saw several former champions exit the tournament, including Rob Cross and Peter Wright, who lost to Mickey Mansell and Jeffrey de Zwaan, respectively. Cross, the 2023 European Darts Grand Prix champion, was beaten 6-2 by Mansell, who averaged 100.32. De Zwaan's win over Wright sets up a meeting with Nathan Aspinall, the newly crowned German Darts Grand Prix champion. Other notable results included Ian White's 6-2 loss to Wessel Nijman and Kim Huybrechts' 6-3 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode.
German star Niko Springer will face defending champion Gary Anderson on Saturday, after opening his campaign with a 6-1 win over Robin Masino. The tournament continues on Saturday, with several high-profile matches scheduled, including Ross Smith vs.
Cameron Menzies, Gerwyn Price vs. Dave Chisnall, and Nathan Aspinall vs.
Jeffrey de Zwaan.