Cameron Menzies delivered a sparkling display on the opening day of the European Darts Grand Prix, while three former champions crashed out in Sindelfingen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The year’s fifth European Tour event began with a bumper day of action at the Glaspalast, as a magnificent Menzies powered to a 6-3 win against a spirited Raymond van Barneveld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 36-year-old produced a brilliant late flurry to confirm his progress, reeling off legs of 11, 13 and 13 darts to triumph with a 104.5 average and register a fifth straight victory over the Dutch legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I felt tremendous there. I wish I could play like that all the time,” quipped Menzies, who faces former European Champion Ross Smith in round two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think every time I’ve played Barney I’ve played out of my skin, so I may not be on his Christmas card list this year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I love and respect Raymond. He was a hero of mine growing up, but that was arguably my best game this year.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van Barneveld wasn’t the only former World Champion to bow out in Sindelfingen, as Rob Cross and Peter Wright succumbed to Mickey Mansell and Jeffrey de Zwaan respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cross \u2013 a European Darts Grand Prix champion in 2023 \u2013 was beaten 6-2 by a clinical Mansell, who averaged 100.32 to set up a showdown against seventh seed Stephen Bunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De Zwaan accounted for 2017 winner Wright in a hard-fought encounter, and the Dutchman’s reward is a meeting with newly crowned German Darts Grand Prix champion Nathan Aspinall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2019 champion Ian White also crashed out the Glaspalast, losing 6-2 to European Darts Trophy champion Wessel Nijman, who is eyeing a fifth PDC ranking title of 2026 this weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, a resurgent Kim Huybrechts 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German star Niko Springer will go head-to-head with defending champion Gary Anderson in one of Saturday’s stand-out fixtures, after opening his campaign with a 6-1 thumping of newcomer Robin Masino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael Unterbuchner also starred on home soil, landing a hat-trick of ton-plus checkouts during his deciding-leg success against William O’Connor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keane Barry converted clinical 124 and 130 checkouts to seal a 6-3 success against an in-form Niels Zonneveld, which sets up an enticing clash against Premier League star Josh Rock in round two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kevin Doets \u2013 a semi-finalist in Munich earlier this month \u2013 will face Jermaine Wattimena in an all-Dutch affair after fending off a valiant fightback from compatriot Jurjen van der Velde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. Round One<\/strong>: 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; 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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cameron Menzies delivered a sparkling display on the opening day of the European Darts Grand Prix, while three<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-11796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-darts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
<\/strong>
Results<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n