Michael van Gerwen's campaign at the Flanders Darts Trophy came to an abrupt end in Antwerp after a nail‑biting second‑round encounter with Australia’s Damon Heta. The match was a classic legs‑for‑legs battle, with neither competitor conceding a single leg on the opponent's throw. Heta, who had secured the vital bull‑off at the start of the tie, kept his composure when the game reached a deciding leg and managed to edge past the Dutch star by a narrow 6‑5 margin, thereby earning a place in the finals scheduled for Sunday. The victory marked the second decisive leg that Heta survived within a 24‑hour period.
Just the night before, he had eliminated 22‑year‑old Beau Greaves from the tournament, also by a 6‑5 scoreline. Greaves, who had made headlines in Prague the previous weekend by becoming the first woman to win a match on the European Tour, was unable to replicate that historic momentum and fell short in Antwerp.
Among the other highlights of the evening, England’s Nathan Aspinall delivered perhaps the most dominant performance. He dispatched Germany’s Niko Springer in a 6‑1 rout, posting an average that flirted with the 106 mark. After the match, Aspinall reflected on his form, saying, "I saw a statistic that I’ve been playing the fourth‑best darts in the world for a few months now, so I tried not to put any pressure on myself, just enjoy the game.
I finished strongly, hit the scores I wanted and gave the crowd something to cheer about. On to tomorrow!" His confidence was evident, and he seemed poised for a deep run in the event.
The night also featured a series of other notable results that will shape the final stages of the European Tour qualification race, which concludes in Antwerp. Dutch youngster Wessel Nijman closed the session with flair, opening his match with a perfect 170 checkout before securing a 6‑4 win over Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki, guaranteeing his spot at the upcoming European Tour finals.
Top‑seed Gian van Veen continued his steady progression, beating Germany’s Gabriel Clemens 6‑3 and extinguishing the German’s hopes of qualifying for the World Grand Prix. Clemens was not alone in his disappointment; several other players saw their qualification bids crumble. Brendan Dolan’s aspirations were halted by Stephen Bunting, who edged him out 6‑5 in a tightly contested match on Saturday evening.
In another upset, former world champion Rob Cross overcame Martin Schindler 6‑4 after Schindler, who had been averaging 84.67, missed a crucial double 60 that would have given him the lead. Cross seized the opportunity and moved forward in the qualification race. The afternoon session also produced a dramatic finish when Dutch qualifier Kevin Doets survived a match dart to defeat Krzysztof Ratajski 6‑5.
Ratajski had surged ahead 4‑1, but Doets rallied, winning two consecutive legs to level the match at 4‑4 before forcing a decider. In the final leg, Doets held his nerve and claimed the victory, showcasing the depth of talent among the European Tour hopefuls.
Other qualifiers from the afternoon included Danny Noppert, Ryan Searle, Chris Dobey, Ross Smith, Jermaine Wattimena and Luke Woodhouse. Dobey impressed by dropping only a single leg against Niels Zonneveld, while Woodhouse secured a comfortable 6‑3 win over William O'Connor.
Friday’s action had already seen several big names eliminated. Dirk van Duijvenbode fell 6‑3 to Brendan Dolan, and Joe Cullen was dispatched 6‑3 by Belgian qualifier Andy Baetens.
Home favourite Kim Huybrechts suffered a heartbreaking loss, bowing out in a deciding leg to Sebastian Bialecki after a walk‑on that had the Antwerp crowd buzzing. The schedule for the remainder of the tournament was as follows: Saturday, 12 September – Round Two (Afternoon Session, 12:00 BST): Kevin Doets d. Krzysztof Ratajski 6‑5; Jermaine Wattimena d. Karel Sedlacek 6‑3; Rob Cross d.
Martin Schindler 6‑4; Danny Noppert d. Chris Landman 6‑2; Ryan Searle d.
Andy Baetens 6‑2; Chris Dobey d. Niels Zonneveld 6‑1; Luke Woodhouse d.
William O'Connor 6‑3; Ross Smith d. Jeffrey de Graaf 6‑2. Evening Session (18:00 BST): Josh Rock d.
Ryan Joyce 3‑6; Gerwyn Price d. Bradley Brooks 6‑3; James Wade d. Jim Long 6‑2; Gian van Veen d. Gabriel Clemens 6‑3; Michael van Gerwen d.
Damon Heta 5‑6; Nathan Aspinall d. Niko Springer 6‑1; Stephen Bunting d.
Brendan Dolan 6‑5; Wessel Nijman d. Sebastian Bialecki 6‑4. Sunday, 13 September – Round Three (Afternoon Session, 13:00 local/12:00 BST): Gian van Veen v.
Kevin Doets; Ryan Searle v. Chris Dobey; Ryan Joyce v. Jermaine Wattimena; Gerwyn Price v.
Ross Smith; James Wade v. Rob Cross; Danny Noppert v. Wessel Nijman; Damon Heta v.
Luke Woodhouse; Stephen Bunting v. Nathan Aspinall. The evening session will host the quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and the final, culminating in the crowning of the tournament champion. Looking ahead, Sky Sports will continue to be the primary broadcaster for darts, covering the World Grand Prix (28 September–4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14–22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December–3 January).
Fans can also stream live darts action through the NOW platform without a contract, ensuring broad accessibility for the sport’s growing global audience.