Van der Voort wins with 100+ average at International Darts Open

Wim Blokpoel - Yesterday the 2022 PDC European Tour got started! The first event is the International Darts Open in Riesa! 4 Dutchmen started yesterday.

Jermaine Wattimena from Westervoort took on German Niko Springer. Springer started amazing and went 2-0 up, averaging well over a ton. Springer even went 4-1 up with a 100 plus average. However, a 14-darter made it 4-2, and then Wattimena hit an amazing 170-finish! Eventually he even managed to level at 4-4. In leg 9 Wattimena missed one dart to go 5-4 up, as he saw himself 4-5 down. The Machine Gun missed another dart at double in leg 10, as Springer managed to win 6-4. A decent gane, but another defeat for Wattimena.

Dutch Destroyer Vincent van der Voort took on Czech Republic’s talent Adam Gawlas. Van der voort hit a 137-finish in leg 2 to level at 1-1, and at 2-2 VVDV even took out 157 to go 3-2 up! A 138 finish from Gawlas made it 3-3, but a 13-darter from the man from Purmerend saw him go 4-3 up. Van der Voort really got going, as he also hit a 12-darter for 5-3, and another 12-darter for a 6-3 victory! It’s an average of 103,7 for the Dutch Destroyer in a brilliant performance to go through to round 2 where he’ll play James Wade this afternoon.

Almere’s Ron ‘The Bomb’ Meulenkamp played Irish talent Keane Barry in round 1. Barry started amazing and went 2-0 up. In leg 3 Meulenkamp was on 163, but bust his throw by throwing a 180!! This very weird miscount resulted in Meulenkamp going 0-3 down, and Barry kept going until 0-5. In leg 6 Meulenkamp finally managed to get a leg, and in leg 7 he played a very good leg to make it 2-5! However, the Irish talent won leg 8 as it was a 2-6 defeat for Meulenkamp.

In the evening session Danny van Trijp took on Canadian Jeff Smith. Van Trijp started poor, and eventually saw himself 1-5 down against ‘The Silencer’. However, Van Trijp kanaged to fight bafk to 2-5, 3-5 and even 4-5! Unfortunately, Smith won leg 10 as it was a 4-6 defeat for Danny van Trijp.

Along with Van der Voort, 3 more Dutchmen will play in round 2 today. Danny Noppert plays for the first time this year, after the birth of his child, as he takes on Mervyn King. And tonight, Dutch number one Michael van Gerwen plays Keane Barry while Dirk van Duijvenbode takes on German Nico Kurz.