Michael van Gerwen's campaign at the Flanders Darts Trophy came to an abrupt end in Antwerp when Australian contender Damon Heta edged him out in a nail‑biting second‑round encounter. The match was a true test of composure, with neither player managing to break the other's throw until the final leg.
After a tense bull‑off determined who would throw first, Heta kept his cool under pressure and clinched the deciding leg 6‑5, securing his place on the finals day scheduled for Sunday. This victory marked the second time in just 24 hours that Heta survived a sudden‑death leg. The previous evening, he had eliminated rising star Beau Greaves by the same narrow margin.
Greaves, only 22, had made history the week before in Prague by becoming the first woman to win a match on the European Tour, but she was unable to extend that breakthrough in Antwerp, falling short in a match that ended 6‑5 in Heta's favour. The evening also featured a dominant display from Nathan Aspinall, who proved to be the most impressive performer of the session.
Aspinall dispatched Niko Springer with a convincing 6‑1 scoreline, posting an average just under 106 points per throw. "It was a great performance," Aspinall said afterwards. "I saw a stat that said I've been playing the fourth best for a couple of months, so tonight I tried not to put pressure on myself and enjoy it.
I finished really well, scored really well, gave the crowd something to cheer about and happy days – onto tomorrow!" The tournament continued to produce a string of dramatic moments across both the afternoon and evening sessions. Wessel Nijman closed the night with flair, opening his leg with a perfect 170 checkout before prevailing 6‑4 over Sebastian Bialecki, thereby earning his spot at another European Tour finals event.
Top seed Gian van Veen also advanced, beating Gabriel Clemens 6‑3 and ending the German's hopes of qualifying for the World Grand Prix. Several other players saw their qualification hopes dashed as the Antwerp event drew to a close. Brendan Dolan was eliminated after a tight 6‑5 loss to Stephen Bunting, while Martin Schindler's last‑ditch effort fell apart when he posted an average of 84.67 in a 6‑4 defeat to Rob Cross. The former world champion seized the opportunity after Schindler missed a crucial 60 finish.
In another closely contested match, Kevin Doets survived a match dart to overcome Krzysztof Ratajski 6‑5. Ratajski had surged from a 4‑1 deficit to level the match at 4‑4, forcing a deciding leg in which Doets, nicknamed "Hawkeye," held his nerve to claim the win.
The afternoon qualifiers also saw strong performances from Danny Noppert, Ryan Searle, Chris Dobey, Ross Smith, Jermaine Wattimena and Luke Woodhouse. Dobey dropped only a single leg against Niels Zonneveld, while Woodhouse dispatched William O'Connor 6‑3. Earlier in the tournament, Dirk van Duijvenbode fell 6‑3 to Brendan Dolan, and Joe Cullen was beaten 6‑3 by Belgian qualifier Andy Baetens. Home favourite Kim Huybrechts suffered a heartbreaking decider loss to Sebastian Bialecki after a walk‑on that fired up the Antwerp crowd.
The official schedule listed the following fixtures for the remainder of the event: Saturday, 12 September – Round Two Afternoon Session (12:00 BST): - Kevin Doets 6‑5 Krzysztof Ratajski - Jermaine Wattimena 6‑3 Karel Sedlacek - Rob Cross 6‑4 Martin Schindler - Danny Noppert 6‑2 Chris Landman - Ryan Searle 6‑2 Andy Baetens - Chris Dobey 6‑1 Niels Zonneveld - Luke Woodhouse 6‑3 William O'Connor - Ross Smith 6‑2 Jeffrey de Graaf Evening Session (18:00 BST): - Josh Rock 3‑6 Ryan Joyce - Gerwyn Price 6‑3 Bradley Brooks - James Wade 6‑2 Jim Long - Gian van Veen 6‑3 Gabriel Clemens - Michael van Gerwen 5‑6 Damon Heta - Nathan Aspinall 6‑1 Niko Springer - Stephen Bunting 6‑5 Brendan Dolan - Wessel Nijman 6‑4 Sebastian Bialecki Sunday, 13 September – Round Three Afternoon Session (13:00 local, 12:00 BST): - Gian van Veen vs Kevin Doets - Ryan Searle vs Chris Dobey - Ryan Joyce vs Jermaine Wattimena - Gerwyn Price vs Ross Smith - James Wade vs Rob Cross - Danny Noppert vs Wessel Nijman - Damon Heta vs Luke Woodhouse - Stephen Bunting vs Nathan Aspinall The evening session will feature quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and the final, leading into a packed calendar of major darts events. Sky Sports will continue to be the primary broadcaster for the sport, with 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) all slated for live coverage. Fans can also stream matches and related content through the NOW platform without a contract, ensuring broad accessibility for viewers worldwide.