Van Gerwen falls to Doets – last 16 in Dortmund today with Littler against Aspinall
Darts today, 24 October 2026: Van Gerwen loses to Doets at the European Championship, and Littler faces Aspinall in the last 16 in Dortmund.
Yesterday's matchday
Michael van Gerwen is out of the European Championship in Dortmund, beaten in the last 32. Kevin Doets won 6-3 and was the better player in the decisive numbers: a 97.14 average against 95.70 and a checkout rate of 54.55 per cent (6/11) against 27.27 per cent (3/11). Doets closed two legs with three-figure checkouts, his highest being 132. Friday's matches completed the first round, leaving 16 of the 32 starters.
The best average of the day came from Luke Littler. In his 6-3 win over William O'Connor, Littler posted 105.05 and six 180s, the best figures of the day in both categories. O'Connor replied with 97.28 and checked out twice in three figures, including 107, but used only three of his eight chances at a double.
Josh Rock allowed Chris Dobey one leg in a 6-1 win. Rock averaged 100.74, hit six of his eleven doubles and finished a leg with 154, the highest checkout of the day. Dobey managed 87.12 and converted one of twelve attempts at a double.
Martin Schindler is the only German in the last 16. Against Wessel Nijman he came through 6-5 in the deciding leg, even though Nijman led the scoring with four 180s to one. Conversion made the difference: Schindler hit six of eleven doubles (54.55 per cent), Nijman five of 20 (25 per cent). Nijman's highest checkout was a 127, Schindler's a 121.
Niko Springer went out. In his 3-6 defeat by Jonny Clayton he took three of his six chances at a double; Clayton was the steadier scorer with 96.81 to 95.76 on average and four 180s to none, and needed 23 attempts at a double for it. Nathan Aspinall beat Cristo Reyes 6-3, even though Reyes threw the higher average with 95.30; Aspinall hit six of 16 doubles and checked out 134. Krzysztof Ratajski beat Dave Chisnall 6-2 with a checkout rate of 40 per cent (6/15) against 14.29 per cent (2/14). Jermaine Wattimena came through 6-3 against Ryan Joyce, even though Joyce had the higher average (88.65 to 87.00). Wattimena took six of 17 chances at a double, Joyce three of 15; the Dutchman finished a leg with 120.
The group matches ran in the MODUS Super Series:
- Aldridge won against Hall (4-2), Usher (4-3) and twice against Lishman (4-2, 4-1); in the return match against Usher he lost 2-4.
- Usher got past Hall 4-0 and 4-3, Potter beat Hall twice by 4-1 and lost 1-4 to Lishman.
- Hunt won 4-3 against Martin, 4-1 against Dutton, 4-1 against O'Hara and 4-3 against Sampson; against Ulrich he lost 2-4.
- Ulrich won 4-0 against Dutton, 4-0 against Sampson, 4-3 against O'Hara and 4-2 against Hunt; against Martin he lost 3-4.
- Dutton ended the evening with 4-0 against Sampson, 4-2 against Martin and 4-0 against O'Hara; O'Hara lost his matches against Sampson, Martin, Hunt, Ulrich and Dutton.
What's on today
In Dortmund the complete last 16 of the European Championship is played across two sessions, still in best of 11. The schedule confirmed by the PDC has four matches in the afternoon and four in the evening.
- 13:10: Cameron Menzies against Gerwyn Price
- 14:00: Stephen Bunting against Kim Huybrechts
- 15:00: Ross Smith against Damon Heta
- 16:00: Gian van Veen against Luke Woodhouse
- 19:10: Krzysztof Ratajski against Kevin Doets
- 20:00: Martin Schindler against Jermaine Wattimena
- 21:00: Nathan Aspinall against Luke Littler
- 22:00: Jonny Clayton against Josh Rock
Huybrechts had come into the field for the ill Luke Humphries and is now in the second round. At 16:00 defending champion van Veen takes on Woodhouse, who has already hit a nine-darter in Dortmund.
The evening session starts at 19:10: Ratajski and Doets open, then Schindler plays Wattimena for a place in the quarter-finals. At 21:00 comes Aspinall against Littler, the match between the two players who each settled their opening task 6-3. Clayton and Rock close things out, with Rock in form after his 154 checkout and 100.74 average in the first round.
From a German point of view Schindler is the last man left in the tournament. If he gets past Wattimena, the winner of Ratajski against Doets awaits in the quarter-finals.