Dutch Darts Masters: Luke Littler Advances with 6-4 Win Over Van den Bergh

Luke Littler defeated Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 in the Dutch Darts Masters, setting up a rematch with Michael van Gerwen.

Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen, finalists in the World Championship, have set up a thrilling rematch after securing victories in the first round of the Dutch Darts Masters on Friday.

In the opening match, Rob Cross faced off against Richard Veenstra. Veenstra started strong, taking the first leg with a impressive D12 finish from 84. However, Cross quickly regained his footing, winning the next two legs from 16 and 74 after Veenstra failed to capitalize on a finish from 78.

Veenstra refused to back down, holding his own leg with a clean finish from 97 and then turning the game around with a stellar 110 finish on D18. This impressive display gave Veenstra a 3-2 lead, with two breaks in his favor. Nevertheless, Cross demonstrated his resilience, returning the favor with a break from 18 and retaking the initiative in the game with a ruthless 12-dart leg and finish from 98.

As the match progressed, Cross's momentum became unstoppable. He secured another break, leaving Veenstra trailing by two legs with a 100-finish. Despite Veenstra's efforts to capitalize on rare opportunities late in the game, Cross maintained his composure. Although he struggled to achieve a clean finish from 32, Cross ultimately clinched a first-round victory over Veenstra, winning the last four legs in quick succession.

Doets Dominates to Make History

An untimely bouncer failed to derail Doets' momentum as he took a commanding 5-1 lead with a impressive finish from 100. Aspinall struggled to regain his footing, and Doets capitalized on his opponent's misfortune. With a clinical finish from 64, Doets sealed the deal, becoming the first Dutchman to emerge victorious at the 2025 Dutch Darts Masters.

Bunting Edges Out Van Veen in Thrilling Match

Crowd favourite Stephen Bunting secured a hard-fought 6-5 victory over upcoming Dutchman Gian van Veen in 's Hertogenbosch. Bunting made a strong start, racing to an 11-dart finish and taking a 1-0 lead over the reigning world youth champion.

Bunting's momentum was temporarily halted in the second leg, which Van Veen capitalized on to level the score. However, Bunting broke Van Veen's third leg after the Dutchman failed to convert a 65-finish. Despite trailing 5-2, Van Veen refused to give up, winning two consecutive legs from 84 and 45 to narrow the gap to one leg. He eventually equalized after Bunting missed a finish from 121.

In the deciding leg, Van Veen took control and set up a finish on 46. However, Bunting showcased his experience and class, using his last three darts to halt Van Veen's resurgence and secure the win. This victory marked Bunting's fifth consecutive match win.

Van Barneveld Stuns Dobey in Thrilling Comeback

Raymond van Barneveld, 57, made a triumphant start to 2025, defeating Chris Dobey 6-5 in a sensational battle. The match began with Dobey taking the lead, landing a finish from 54 after Van Barneveld failed to convert from 61.

The intensity of the match remained high, with both players holding off breaks in the following two legs. Dobey struck first, breaking Van Barneveld from 60, but the Dutchman immediately responded with a 76-finish to even out the breaks. A ruthless 138 finish from Dobey gave him confidence, but Van Barneveld refused to back down, fighting back from 96 to level the match once again.

🗣️"I think it's good for us players that he's not there dancing around. So we get to walk on quicker"

☢️ 🎤 Luke Littler is pleased that slow Dimi's dancing song has gone

Full Interview 🎥 👉🏻 https://t.co/v6qm48vngD

— Online Darts (@OfficialOLDarts) January 24, 2025

As the match reached its climax, Dobey had a golden opportunity to take the lead, but Van Barneveld made a critical error, hitting the double 1 and stranding himself in the middle of an 82-finish. Dobey failed to capitalize, missing two darts on the double 5, and Van Barneveld made another mistake, hitting a double 13 on a 16-finish. Dobey made the most of the opportunity, finishing from 5, but Van Barneveld forced a decider by winning his own leg.

In the deciding leg, Van Barneveld produced a stunning finish from 144, capping off a thrilling match in front of a 2,000+ crowd. With this victory, Van Barneveld set up a quarter-final match against Bahrain Masters winner Stephen Bunting.

Wattimena Stuns Humphries with Impressive Comeback

Jermaine Wattimena pulled off a stunning upset in the first round of the Dutch Darts Masters, defeating former world champion Luke Humphries 6-3. Wattimena's victory was fueled by a remarkable mid-match comeback, where he won five consecutive legs to take control of the match.

Humphries initially seemed poised for a comfortable win, breaking Wattimena in the first leg with a finish from 16 after the Dutchman failed to capitalize on finishes from 106, 20, 5, and 2. However, Wattimena bounced back, taking his first leg by exploiting Humphries' mistakes. The Dutchman then unleashed a ruthless comeback, hitting consecutive 136 and 111 checkouts before breaking Humphries with a 78-finish to take a 4-2 lead.

Wattimena's dominance continued as he won his fifth consecutive leg, leaving Humphries reeling. Although Wattimena experienced a brief hiccup, hitting the outer rim on his second-to-last shot, he remained composed and eliminated Humphries by hitting a double 12. This impressive display earned Wattimena a 98.86 average and a quarter-final spot against former world champion Rob Cross on Saturday.

Van Gerwen Dominates Van Duijvenbode in One-Sided Clash

Michael van Gerwen, the World Championship finalist, delivered a storming display to defeat Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 in their all-Dutch encounter. Van Gerwen left no room for luck, starting strong with a finish from 68. Van Duijvenbode managed to secure his only leg win with a finish from 56, but Van Gerwen quickly regained control.

Van Gerwen's dominance was evident as he broke Van Duijvenbode in the fourth leg, ultimately finishing off his opponent. Van Duijvenbode averaged a modest 88 and had only one attempt at a checkout throughout the entire match. Van Gerwen, on the other hand, ended the match with five consecutive leg wins, requiring finishes from 60 and below to book his spot in the quarter-finals. This victory potentially sets up a World Championship rematch against Luke Littler.

Littler Edges Out Van den Bergh in Thrilling Encounter

Luke Littler edged out Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 in the first round of the Dutch Darts Masters, ending the Belgian's tournament run. Littler started strong, securing a 134 finish to take a 2-0 lead after two legs.

Van den Bergh fought back, leveling the score with an 89-finish and his first break of the night. The two players exchanged breaks, but Van den Bergh took his first lead with a feisty 87-finish, seemingly regaining control of the match.

However, Littler demonstrated his resilience, shifting into high gear when faced with adversity. He stormed to a 6-4 win, notching finishes from 102, 32, and 51. This victory sets up a highly anticipated rematch of the World Championship final against Michael van Gerwen in Saturday's quarter-finals.

The stage is set for a thrilling encounter between Littler and Van Gerwen in 's Hertogenbosch on Saturday evening. The match promises to be an electrifying clash between two of the sport's top talents.