Catch all the best bits from Friday afternoon's first round action at the 2025 European Darts Trophy.
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NewsTranscript
00:00In the likes of Luke Humphreys, Daryl Gurney, Scott Williams and Luke Woodhouse.
00:04But his last victory on a European tour stage was an infamous game that took
00:12quite a long time against our German friend Liam Mendel Lawrence. Nearly 50
00:19minutes for 10 legs. Oh it actually wasn't it was only eight. Infamous the
00:28correct description was. But he won and that was the last time he was successful.
00:35That was at the European Darts match play in Trier in 2023. But he's back for
00:43another crack. But what I mean has got the better start. Dart at the bullseye.
00:5161. This is north of the red base. So Marco Cantela for an early break of
00:57throat. Solid start from both players.
01:0413. Leaves double top. Very nicely done. Right hand side of the top's bed. But Marco
01:13Cantela leads this 1-1-0 in the early stages. Not going to plan. Not going as
01:19we expected. Take the weekend off. So we are going to get a second winner from
01:23two Euro tours in 2025. And another absentee will be Steven Bunding. 57. So
01:31Germain's not going to run into Steven this weekend. 100. Perhaps for the best.
01:43They had an interesting game in Belgium. Ended somewhat frostily. But Steven
01:50takes a well-deserved weekend off to recharge for Newcastle on Thursday.
01:56Germain is looking for glory. He's looking for another one of those. And a
02:01bull. This time he gets it.
02:11But he's already losing touch with a very comfortable Germain. 98. He's not
02:20necessarily pressing the accelerator here. Averaging just under 90. You can
02:26tell there's another gear to find. The question is, does he need it?
02:32140. Germain Rekhae, 112. Maybe does in this fifth leg.
02:4288. Well, decided to go treble 14 for the bull. It didn't work out. Felt the first
02:47start was a blocker. Had the option of going for treble 18 as well. We've seen
02:53Kantella pin tops already. It's sat on the wire. Is it awkward? 24. Perhaps it
03:00was. Germain Rekhae, 24.
03:06Game, Sean, the fifth leg. And that makes it even worse for Markle. Couldn't agree more. It's either in or it's not.
03:1783. There is a question right now. Is Markle Kantella in or is he out? 60. Right now he's still in. But he is very, very close to being out.
03:36He's not going to take out 157. Might be clinging on by his fingernails.
03:4259. Well, this potentially for the biggest of the match. We've already had three Tomplus checkouts.
03:48Tops, tops. Slightly tentative go at double top, double top. Yeah, I don't mind that at all.
03:57Nice safe attempt. Forcing Kantella to take this out.
04:05And the exit door may be seen for the first time in Göttingen right now for Markle.
04:12Well, Markle Kantella departs with something of a whimper. Germain Watanina
04:17hits tops. First time of asking a routine performance. Not exactly at his sparkling
04:23best, but quite simply, he didn't need to. The European tour issues continue for the bin.
04:29Markle Kantella. Germain Watanina has booked his place in round two where he's going to face Chris
04:35Derby tomorrow afternoon. So what is causing this? Is this just he gets his eye in,
04:42gets his little monocled eye in for little spells. 58. It's very individual.
04:50I think the first start's got to be good, which predominantly for the last few weeks
04:55it has been perceived. But the feel's got to be good. Feel of the dart in the hand.
05:02It's got to feel comfortable. Isn't that right, Alan?
05:07That's right. No mistake at all. Right place, right time. Much like this game,
05:16it had a 170 checkout, which was ridiculous from Rob Cross to take out Gezi Price on the last leg
05:22decider. But now Cammy's getting in on the action with his first max. Oh, this has to be one,
05:28hasn't it? Has to be. Oh, not quite. It's a first 140.
05:38Is he behind? He is. This is ludicrous, this game. 12 darts for Cameron Menzies.
05:4548. Interesting. You see the bullseye. I like it.
05:57He'd rather have 90 than something a little bit further north of that.
06:04I'm surprised he didn't go for the maximum. As am I. It makes sense to go for the maximum there.
06:10Double 18, though. Good marker. Uses it excellently and you can hear the satisfaction
06:17in that roar from Cameron Menzies. It was aggressive going treble 18 for double.
06:23As you can see, Cameron Menzies' numbers overtaking
06:28Alan Soot as the back heart this game because he has not faltered at all. In fact, he's got better
06:33and he might be producing the best leg of the match to wrap it up.
06:40134. This is going to stay in Soota's mind for a while.
06:46Double 16.
06:50And Soota has lost again to Menzies. He weathered the storm early on
06:57and Soota with five maximums in the first five legs
07:01didn't find another towards the end and the Scottish derby goes the way of Menzies.
07:1041. Yeah, 110 grand he got for the UK Open two years ago,
07:15so that's just come off which is why you just shoot down the rankings.
07:2660. Couldn't find his way through there. There are other options there after that first up. Could
07:31have gone to the 18s and if you only get the single you can bring the bullseye in. You still
07:34get down to a two darter. Andrew Gilding, pretty old school in his methods. He doesn't tend to be
07:42creative with his use of the ball. He doesn't need to be creative with a ton left. Will he go tops,
07:48tops? Oh, he goes treble 20 for double 10 and it's a wise move from Goldfinger.
07:57A sort of snowball of nine darters. Three in the Premier League already,
08:01even Dirk van Dijvenboorde hit one this week and he'd never hit one in senior darts. Ridiculously.
08:09Yeah, we're getting multiple nine darters on Pro Tour days. I think we had five last week alone.
08:15It was a record year for nine darters in PDC darts and on the Euro Tour last year.
08:20It would not surprise you if that record is broken again this year.
08:23But this, not for a nine, but for back-to-back four visit legs. No need to go tops, tops here.
08:32Yeah, it's sensible play. If Ridds had been on a finish you could say there's a strong argument to do it.
08:43Ridds is starting to drift.
08:49Does get down to a finish but it's a big one and he's got to rely on Gilding missing his
08:53favourite double. He might miss. He doesn't miss and that's a break of throw for Andrew Gilding in 15 darts.
09:06Bit of pace in that visit from Ridds playing on the 19s. He's just trying to mix things up,
09:11get something going in this game because it's been all Gilding for the last couple of legs.
09:15That offers an opening to Ridds though. 2-3-1. He might have to move around the board.
09:27No, he doesn't. He's going straight for treble 19.
09:33An annoying last dart. Does mean he might be back on the 19s when he returns to the
09:39board and it's a chance to break straight back. Bullseye is an option. Does not take it.
09:49Feeling the 19s. Yes, he is. Double top.
09:57Sails above the wire.
10:02That's when Callum Ridds thought he was getting back into this game.
10:05Andrew Gilding looks to slam the door shut and he does. And that is proper efficiency from Goldfinger.
10:15Well, he actually mismatched darts. He could have won that semifinal with a 1.17, missed the bullseye
10:21and he would have faced Jelle Klaassen in the final. Again, you would expect Callum Ridds to win.
10:26Yeah, and you see him getting annoyed there but this is nowhere near the levels of
10:31frustration that we have seen from Callum Ridds.
10:35Or at least give him credit for sticking to his task. It's not worked out. He's not playing well
10:40and Andrew Gilding is taking advantage and might be about to throw the best leg of the match to
10:44bring this one to an end. To win in ultimate style with an 11 darter.
10:54Doesn't have to go 12 and bull. Ridds is way, way back.
11:0341.
11:06Callum Ridds will feel resigned. He'll feel this will be his last visit
11:11and it doesn't start well. Middle part's not good. The ending's not great either.
11:17It's difficult to beat Andrew Gilding anyway but if you can't hit the 20 segment it's almost
11:20impossible and that's kind of what's happened to Callum Ridds today. Worries the wire atops again
11:26and then finds the mark for a 6-2 win. A convincing one at that and Goldfinger wins his first game at
11:33the Lochalla. Six years away. He was around one casualty last time out. Not this time
11:39and Gilding will take on Rob Cross in the second round tomorrow.
11:44Another game a bit like Gilding Ridds where it was only very recently it was a challenge
11:48to our meeting. It was actually a final back in 2020. Dukes beating Ritchie.
11:56Dukes looking for a 12 dart start. Bullseye.
12:0196. Inches away. Less than inches. Millimeters away.
12:06Less than inches. Millimeters away.
12:09Oh that's perfect.
12:13So was that. As is that. We have been treated some great seconds here this afternoon. Having said that
12:24they aren't necessarily a precursor to victory but it would be if he takes a 3-1 lead.
12:36Very much like Alan Suter from this afternoon. A lot of
12:40Ed House's really good form stems from a very profitable first dart.
12:4960. Ritchie require 154. 3-1 is a very real possibility. Not if he's doing stuff like that.
12:5784. It's amazing how a darling that can rescue a visit. It was pretty ordinary until dart three.
13:1258. Ritchie requires 17. Well Dukes is outscoring Ritchie Ed House and yet Ed House
13:20the dart away from a 3-1 lead. That was just in the single. Raise of the eyebrow.
13:24That was slap bang in the middle. That's a confidently placed double 16.
13:29Ed House for the rest of his career potentially.
13:35Not forgetting the sleeve of course.
13:40Oh people believe in it.
13:45You can even buy your own these days.
13:52Chance here for Dukes to break the throw.
13:54Tricky check out for Ritchie.
13:57140. Ritchie require 160. He might have to take it with Dukes on 42.
14:03And a single one not going to lead to that. 80. Again another good third dart.
14:13Maybe in Viennor.
14:1484. Turns out he gets a chance. Ritchie require 80. This could be a very fortuitous 4-2 lead.
14:30Doubles have been very good to now. How about this one? That makes it four from six.
14:37And if there's anything in this game that has clicked it's definitely the outer ring.
14:44And particularly those players that did play in Hildesheim on the pro tour.
14:48They'll have probably stayed in Germany. Hildesheim's only around about an hour up the road.
14:54They'll have kicked around on Wednesday and yesterday.
14:5898. Not the worst place to kick around in. Beautiful time girding and
15:02could be a beautiful result for Ed House.
15:05Double 16 says yes. And that's top corner. That is a brilliant leg.
15:1224 darts he won the last two legs in. And Ritchie Ed House is saving his best stuff
15:18for the stage. Make no mistake about that. Disappointment for Dukes who could not back up
15:24his run for four successive quarterfinals. Could be this weekend that he takes another step.
15:29Maybe a big one. I like the way he's talking at the minute. People don't give
15:36enough credit how smart he is. He may just have to be really smart to get through this guy.
15:44The thing is Boris Kruchma plays darts wherever he wants.
15:47That's him at the minute. Soft tip around the world.
15:50Bit of steel tip in Europe. He'll be one happy bunny.
15:56Yeah well beating MVG in Wieser as you mentioned is big. He beat Dirk at the World Championship.
16:01Just over a year ago. He also beat him last year on the Pro Tour. So he's won his last couple of
16:05games against Dirk. But that was Dirk. 99. Not at his lowest but not at his best.
16:20Bit of a shame we're not getting Dirk on 1.51. I'd be interested to see where he would go.
16:26But on 1.34 he's got form for doing something a bit different.
16:33Yeah that wasn't what he was after. You can keep looking at it but it's not in the treble 18.
16:39He could have stayed on the treble 18 had he hit it if he liked the lie.
16:43Get the feeling this is going to be a really good game.
16:48That confirms that they are sharp from the off. Well Kruchma had to win five games to get into this
16:56tournament. He's got an incredible reputation Boris wherever he goes.
17:01Protein shake derby. Those two playing each other.
17:04Suddenly looked away as if something distracted him. Don't know what.
17:13140. Dirk required 84.
17:19He's got a choice here.
17:20Up near the double. Yeah love it. Leaves the ball.
17:24Doesn't take it out.
17:28He looks displeased.
17:32Don't look at the board Dirk.
17:35He's got a choice.
17:38He's got a choice.
17:41He's got a choice.
17:42Boris required 121. He looks displeased.
17:48Don't look at the board Dirk. There could be trouble.
17:52It's fabulous from Boris.
17:56Make no mistake Boris Kruchma is one of the best dart players that's ever lived
18:00because he's won more titles than pretty much everybody just in a different format of the game.
18:08Did he not try fishing around with the dart in your ear? I wouldn't advise that.
18:12100. When did you get it out in the end? After the match.
18:20With a concerted effort. With some help from security. With some help.
18:25Right okay. You never get a straightforward answer from me.
18:30No it's pretty straightforward. That's what happened. You enlisted some help to drag the
18:34thing out of your ear. Fair enough. Well you went seven sets with the all-time great Robert
18:39Thornton three-time major champion.
18:44But what you're trying to do is create a bubble for yourself.
18:48Nothing will get in your way as long as you can just be in that bubble with your thoughts.
18:53And you get the feeling that maybe Dirk would be strong in that situation.
18:59He's not distracted. If he's in his own little bubble he can be very very strong on the dartboard
19:04but it's Kriczmar who is being strong on the dartboard. Possibly with another one-two-one.
19:11In exactly the same way the one-two-one disappears for the second time in this match.
19:18Big Boris Kriczmar completes a 12 dart up. A few different players.
19:22Benjamin Pratnehmer who you mentioned from Slovenia. He's qualified for one.
19:25Yeah Krivka's in two. The Eastern European qualifiers have usually been good value when
19:35we've seen them over the years. I haven't seen your favorite one in a while. Nando.
19:43Nando Bezheg.
19:55That's strange.
19:59The last dart was the right one. Double two.
20:05Now if Kriczmar does take this out the genius is leaving the two-darter.
20:10Where's double 19?
20:18And away his darts go. Double 19 isn't the worst double on the board particularly with
20:21this soft hit background where they're used to throwing at things like that.
20:25But he does lose the leg and Dirk van Dijvenberger cuts the gap to two lefts.
20:29But Boris Kriczmar from one-six-one you see plenty of players who will bring the ball play in to try
20:34and leave 97-96. They're more less awkward two-darters. 98 is a strange one.
20:47This place is going to be loud this weekend. First German-European tour
20:52event of the year. 4 000 sellout tomorrow and the acoustics of this place
20:58is just incredible. Yeah the size of it, the shape of the room is perfect.
21:05It's just a very good venue for darts. Too long away from the locale here in Göttingen.
21:16Not put enough pressure on Kriczmar. Is it another big finish? Double 18.
21:2296. Displeased with the last one. Dirk needs something to fire him up.
21:33It might be this.
21:39And he's playing up all right. What a sensational shot.
21:47Five, six legs into this game he had been outscored and outfinished by Big Boris.
21:51But Dirk is up and running here.
21:54And when he's in this mood he is capable of winning the game from any position.
22:08Head-to-head, tour-to-tour, that's what we've got.
22:1496. Now it's not one-two-one but it's similar.
22:21Can't get it started. Dirk van Dijvenboda has got a chance. Missed his first two darts at the ball
22:27to complete checkouts in the match but he's hit one now. Does he get another dart?
22:32I think he's the first ones in the treble. 19. He'll probably follow it and it'll be double six.
22:40Bullseye it is. Oh Dirk van Dijvenboda, this game feels like it's being decided on that bullseye.
22:4882. And bullseye could be the target again to start.
22:55One at tops.
22:59Just shy. Is this game now turning?
23:04Port to starboard for Dirk.
23:07Drops his dart, changes the angle. This is massive.
23:14Oh Dirk van Dijvenboda can't find his way through.
23:18He's annoyed with somebody in the crowd but he's got the earplugs in.
23:28Double five.
23:30And Dirk is more annoyed now that he's behind once again.
23:35But it's Boris Kritschmar who's in the ascendancy right now.
23:41I don't know about you Dan but going back to Belgium
23:46where Dirk made the last 16, lost out to Johnny Clinton by six legs to five.
23:50That was a tournament where one of the best players in the world was going to play against
23:55Dirk van Dijvenboda and he lost out to Johnny Clinton by six legs to five.
23:57That was a tournament where one of his flights was popping off the stem and onto the floor a lot.
24:03It's happened in this game as well.
24:08Well you'd think that's going to happen quite a lot to Dirk because he does group his darts
24:10together quite well, well quite well, brilliantly. Yeah it's a flight that he just glides over the top
24:17of the stem.
24:20I suppose it colliding with another flight is a compliment.
24:25Can he get past that and into the treble? He wants to stay on the 20s.
24:30Oh he's got over to the 18s and that dart is a loose one
24:34and it makes this next shot, if he gets it, much harder. He might not get it.
24:40Wow went the hard way. That was right on line and that was risky.
24:47Boris Kritschmar everyone, he does whatever he wants.
24:49Dirk van Dijvenboda rescue the leg. He can't, it's match darts incoming for Dirk van Dijvenboda.
24:58For Boris Kritschmar, Dirk van Dijvenboda, the damage was done earlier on in the match.
25:02Big Boris to take out another big name Dutchman on the Euro tour.
25:06He has done it and he has done it well. It's 100 average for Boris Kritschmar.
25:11Sarcastic thumbs up to the fans from Dirk van Dijvenboda.
25:16Yeah if we call it the gilding to bunting scale, he's very much team gilding.
25:21Yeah I mean he's at the sort of extremities of gilding, if you can imagine such a thing.
25:35His performances on the pro tour last year were actually decent but as the year wore on,
25:41look I don't know what his personal situation is, where the work commitments are getting in the way.
25:46He can clearly play, he's on tops after 12 and Vessel has not started like a train as you'd expect.
25:54Yeah great start from Paul Krohner.
25:57Wessel Neumann does get down to a finish but he's powerless to stop Krohner having to go at tops.
26:05First dart bad, second dart great.
26:10If you're a pro tour player you're going to get a qualifier of some sort
26:15but you would feel like the host nation qualifiers are the weakest of the bunch of qualifiers so
26:22you've done all right there. He only scraped through 6-5 but then he played very well against
26:27Johnny Clayton, averaged seven points more than him, lost 6-5 in that one so the fortune he had
26:31in round one kind of deserted him in round two.
26:41In general he's not really getting too many good results, he had a quartet of
26:47last 16 appearances in the first four pro tours. He also didn't make it to the TV stage of the
26:54World Masters, lost his first match at the UK Open to Scott Williams on the main stage.
26:59Good game though wasn't it?
27:03He's left 48 here Wessel, that'll be 16 for double and he takes it out. Back to back five
27:10visit legs for Wessel Neumann and it looks like he's got up and running in this game.
27:14Ryan Joyce bumped up into the spot this weekend, no Steven Bunting here this weekend.
27:21A bit of resistance here from Falcrow and he leaves that 85. He's already had a go at it.
27:30Oh how about this? How about that?
27:36All of a sudden this looks more difficult.
27:40He's had a go at 85, he'll have to get it with a different route on the ball and he gets it on the
27:44ball and that 180 was rendered completely pointless.
27:4895.
27:53Potential four visit leg coming in.
27:58Falcrow in his turn to apply a bit of pressure though.
28:03Another treble, leaves double six. Wessel Neumann finds it, he was close to busting.
28:09It's normally advisable to go low on double six because you might hit the single ten.
28:15Wessel Neumann, he's got the ball, he's got the ball.
28:20He's got the ball, he's got the ball.
28:21Another treble, leaves double six. Wessel Neumann finds it, he was close to busting.
28:27It's normally advisable to go low on double six because you might hit the single ten.
28:32But Neumann planted that one in.
28:36Stay straight on 270.
28:43Minimum requirement gets him down to the big fish. Wessel should be on something better.
28:49Already he is.
28:53Fancy the ball or does he like the marker and stay there?
28:57He went for the ball and that's always the danger.
29:02Another one.
29:07No big fish for Falcrow now.
29:12Wessel go within a leg of round two.
29:1816 for double 18.
29:20And there it is, a second top plus finish on the balance for Wessel Neumann
29:25who is playing beautifully in Göttingen this afternoon.
29:32And he's demonstrated that in this game, hasn't he?
29:34He's still not been top gear, but look, he'll hit more, won't he?
29:39He does, even with a little pause, just wanted to recalibrate.
29:43But he is left to finish after three visits to the board once again.
29:46And that has happened so often in this game that Pal Croner has struggled to live with it.
29:54Another ten plus check out on the cards.
29:57Will he follow it?
29:59No, he won't again, but there was a savage deflection there.
30:02And sensibly, because that dart was standing up so tall,
30:05he eschewed a single 20, went for the 12s, leaves double 12.
30:10Oh, Pal Croner is here to entertain, but he may not be here for much longer.
30:18Wessel Neumann doesn't look entertained.
30:26Might both be on double three in a second.
30:28Oh, now then, Pal Croner's little bit of showboating there with the look away 180
30:45has bought him this chance.
30:51Could be a genius move, but he hits double three, now gives it large.
30:58And the hundreds of fans that are in the lock up are definitely on Croner's side.
31:05Surely that's just inviting Neumann to take control of the deciding leg.
31:11And once again, Neumann leaving a finish after nine darts.
31:18So much room to the right.
31:19No need to go to the 11s, so he can do what he wants.
31:3715s or treble seven, maybe even 25.
31:42And he went 25, which is perhaps the least likely option.
31:50Wasn't a bad number to leave though, hitting the 13 to leave 48.
32:01Maybe the resistance isn't quite there from Croner.
32:06Neumann's feeling resistance from the crowd.
32:09They want three misses here.
32:12They're not going to get it.
32:13Wessel Neumann has come through a very tough encounter.
32:18It didn't look like it was going to be tough in the early stages,
32:21but Croner led a fight back three legs in a row.
32:25A blind 180 to boom, which did put Neumann off,
32:29but ultimately the Dutchman was a bit too strong.
32:31A deserved win, you've got to say, based on the scoring prowess.
32:35Wessel Neumann has come through and something Paul Croner
32:38loses on his European Tour debut.
32:41Unterbuchner was doing, maybe not to the same level,
32:46but he was doing stuff for this country in a different place.
32:51And that should not be underestimated.
32:55And those semifinals he lost at the lakeside
32:57were against Mark McGeaney and Scott Wade.
33:00No books, obviously.
33:03Correct.
33:05And when it comes to qualifiers in this tournament,
33:08nobody should be taken for granted.
33:10Just look at Paul Croner.
33:12Look at Boris Krutschmer.
33:13We're seeing more qualifiers for European Tour events
33:18with extensive experience.
33:27Not ideal for Miki that one.
33:29He's got a lovely lead of 203 points.
33:33Not for long.
33:37First of many.
33:41Of course it is.
33:4378.
33:49Bit of a flat lie on the dart.
33:50So nothing in the way of tops.
33:52And a beautiful kill from Miki.
33:55Am I going to get that same sort of standard
33:58from the former World Trophy runner-up?
34:03Am I going to get the person who's played
34:06five times on the European Tour before?
34:09But has only ever averaged as high as 92.76.
34:16You'd suspect that Unterbuchtner needs to play near his A game.
34:21And Ross Smith needs to play B minus C game
34:24in order for the German to win.
34:26A 92 average would be disappointing in Ross's book.
34:31Especially as he set a tournament record
34:34last time out in Belgium of 112 plus.
34:3958.
34:43Feels very measured in the first three legs here from Ross.
34:5058.
34:51Ross, you require 86.
34:55Now this is interesting.
34:56With Unterbuchtner on 153, if he doesn't get the 54 here,
35:01it doesn't matter.
35:02Double 16.
35:05Gange on the third leg.
35:06It's a break and throw.
35:07I know exactly what you were going to say.
35:09If he doesn't get the treble,
35:11he's surely not going to go 18 for Bullseye.
35:14That's not what Ross Smith does.
35:15I've said it a few times since.
35:18I believe that that is the game of the year so far.
35:23121.
35:25I promise you I'm not overselling it.
35:27That rock Ross game was breathless.
35:33The 156 from Ross Smith to take it all the way was just
35:37immense.
35:43And even though he's been hit hard by Unterbuchtner at the early start,
35:47early portion of this match,
35:49Ross has weathered it.
35:51And he's the one with the quality right here, right now.
35:57Double 18.
35:593-1 Ross Smith.
36:01A plumb checkout.
36:03112 might be possible.
36:07140.
36:10A little bit disappointed with a 140 there.
36:12Well, the average right now is around the 109 mark.
36:18Scintillating from Ross Smith.
36:20Ross, you require 121.
36:24He's done this once before.
36:26Not again, though.
36:27That's always the inherent danger of going bull first.
36:32That's worked out really well, though.
36:34He doesn't look like a man who is uncomfortable or under pressure.
36:40He is playing this game like it's a practice match.
36:42And that's no disrespect to Mickey.
36:45Smith is just very comfortable averaging 108.
36:50Go 12 tops.
36:52Because he had a marker.
36:55But when you get hit double 16 the way he can, he only needs two dots.
37:01Surely he's not going to be able to do it.
37:03He's going to get another chance this year to get that elusive European Tour title.
37:08It could do great things for his ranking.
37:12However, after a fourth maximum of this match.
37:21He's now staring the second round of this tournament in the face.
37:27Looks across at Mickey's score.
37:29He's not had an 11 darter yet.
37:31Best one was a 12.
37:32That 121 finish.
37:34Yeah.
37:41We'll just try and thread this through for a big single 20 gets it.
37:46And leaves his favorite target.
37:48Nothing Mickey can do.
37:49That's recognizing what he's doing right in this game.
37:53Double 16 has been his best friend.
37:57And he only needs to say hello to it one more time.
38:04This time the double 16 door slams shut in his face.
38:07But next door he's all well and good.
38:10What a great performance from Ross Smith.
38:13Completely comfortable.
38:14Completely in control throughout.
38:18And that next step involves identifying strengths.
38:23Which are natural strengths.
38:26But also identifying weaknesses based on feelings and numbers.
38:31Now if he feels he's getting worse.
38:35Playing a multiple game day like a player's championship.
38:38He's got to figure out the endurance part of it.
38:41If he struggles playing one game a day like European tour stuff.
38:44Figure that out.
38:50Should get a shot.
38:53So the ball and all of a sudden then he's looking at Luke Woodhouse's.
38:57You've got to go for it Dominic.
39:01He's missed it.
39:05So you can easily say.
39:07Well he's not giving himself a chance there.
39:09Taking himself out of his rhythm.
39:10By not being aware of where Luke Woodhouse was.
39:16Might lose the leg.
39:18Because the 1-1-3 is taken out by Woodie.
39:22Clarity of thought is important.
39:24And you could see there from Dominic Grulic's accent.
39:26Dominic is a guy who has suffered from dartitis in the past.
39:29And I think you can see elements of it there.
39:33It took some real effort to get that dart out of the hand.
39:38There's that pause and it's that telltale sign.
39:42And it's with some players you'll find it's the first dart.
39:45And after that they can flow through the visit.
39:46It's not really like that with Dominic.
39:49He had to push and release.
39:51And there is the kicking of the back leg as well.
39:55That is a symptom of what he does on his right side.
39:58And notice how Woodhouse didn't look at the score sheet.
40:10Because he knew exactly where Dominic was.
40:13Another combination.
40:17Is that a shot to double in every leg?
40:23Now that's interesting.
40:23He went for 16 for double 18.
40:25It hasn't paid off.
40:29It's hard work, isn't it, for Dominic?
40:43It's a single three to lead.
40:44Double two for a 3-1 lead.
40:49Ah, Grulic will get a go at that double 18 eventually.
40:59That was a bit jumpy, that one.
41:06The classic mistake on the old tricky switch.
41:11Yeah, now look, I've not seen Dominic playing
41:13since he got his tour card at the start of the year.
41:15I don't know if his dartitis is flaring up here
41:21on his EuroTour debut.
41:23Or whether this is how he's playing normal.
41:26Working his way in.
41:29But he can't get it done.
41:31Dominic Grulic can level this up at two apiece.
41:39That looked pretty smooth.
41:42I did get a chance to watch him a little bit earlier this season.
41:44What you're trying to do is this closed loop skill
41:47of just doing the same thing over and over and over.
41:49And yet, when he's getting it right,
41:51he's getting it very, very right.
41:55That's the thing about your natural throw.
41:59Sometimes it's conducive for faltering.
42:04You have to go through some form of enhancement
42:09and have a different throw to be the better version of yourself
42:12as a dart player.
42:13Ask Mervyn King.
42:14Ask Mark Walsh.
42:15Yeah, both guys who came through dartitis.
42:19Oh, that's unfortunate.
42:21He was on a two-darter.
42:22He's thrown two darts.
42:25And he managed to score four points.
42:2824.
42:29Lukakuwa, 71.
42:34This is also a two-darter.
42:40And he takes it out in two.
42:41He's on the fifth leg.
42:42Lukakuwa.
42:43It's not a great deal between them in the averages.
42:45Six points for the EuroFirst.
42:48Good stuff.
42:51And now he misses out on a fourth maximum, Luke Woodhouse.
42:55But he's just finding enough on his own throw
42:59just to keep Grawlish at arm's length.
43:03Nobody said winning was easy.
43:0442.
43:06If you want to do something in life that means something,
43:11I guarantee you, you're going to win.
43:13If you want to do something in life that means something,
43:17I guarantee you, it will not be simple.
43:2460.
43:26Definitely not happy with something about his hand right now,
43:30whether it's a temperature thing, whether it's a feel thing.
43:36I guarantee you, it's going to be a lot hotter in here later.
43:39And this is very much a sort of...
43:41Lukakuwa. 120.
43:44Par game.
43:45Maybe a little bit off it.
43:48Woodhouse eyes up the 120 for the biggest finish in the match.
43:52Double top.
43:535-4.
43:58Very well constructed that from Luke Woodhouse.
44:03That's the 120 to the 113.
44:07I just don't like the 19 switch there.
44:12He's going to have to bring in the 18s, you would think.
44:14Which he does.
44:17128.
44:19And it's worked out okay for him.
44:21He leaves the 134.
44:23Saw a real stutter from Grawlish,
44:25and you've seen him nearly go chasing after that first dart.
44:29It's the inconsistencies.
44:30That's one of the things with dart Isis.
44:34Second time he's nearly gone after it.
44:36He shouldn't have gone for the 19s, in my opinion, with that second dart.
44:39It should have been up to the 20s.
44:42But again, he might be so focused on the technique and the throw,
44:45that other things take less priority.
44:47How about this?
44:48No need to go tops, tops.
44:50Just caught two singles.
44:51He's going for the 16s.
44:56He is still on a two darter.
44:58He could have just hit two single 20s to lead tops.
45:01That would have been the best play.
45:03Look, the treble 20 is right there.
45:05If he'd pinned that, double 10.
45:07And all of a sudden, Dominic Grawlish is on his coattails.
45:11But Luke Woodhouse is going to get matched darts.
45:17And he does get over the line.
45:19He had to graft for that, Luke Woodhouse.
45:22It is a very respectable display,
45:24but he's won that 6-4 with something between his B and his C game.
45:28Dominic Grawlish battled hard on his EuroTour debut.
45:32And now, apparently, the dancing can start for Woody.
45:35Who will have another crack at Gary Anderson after beating him in Weezer.