Wessel Nijman continued his astonishing run of form by claiming the inaugural Slovak Darts Open title in Bratislava, defeating Rob Cross 8-3 in Sunday's final. The Dutchman, who had already won a Players Championship title earlier in the week, backed it up with a dominant European Tour performance, beating Stephen Bunting (6-1), Mike De Decker (6-3), Ross Smith (7-6) and Cross to lift the trophy. His semi-final included a 161 checkout that drew praise from DartsNews.com editor Lucas Michael, who said Nijman has 'the full package: terrific scoring, clinical finishing and a knack for a big checkout once in a while.'
Nijman's victory has reignited debate over whether he is ready to challenge for major honours. Samuel Gill, Head Editor of DartsNews.com, believes Nijman could win a major or earn a Premier League spot before the year is out. 'This year has been the story of Wessel Nijman as he continues to dazzle and now with two European Tours under his belt, it is no longer just the story of a player who can do it on the ProTour and not a lot else,' Gill said. Pieter Verbeek of DartsNieuws.com noted that Nijman has now won eight PDC ProTour events this season, putting him in elite company: only Phil Taylor (2008) and Michael van Gerwen (2016, 2018) have won 10 or more in a single campaign. Nijman currently sits eighth in the virtual world rankings after the World Darts Championship, with a realistic shot at a Premier League debut next year if he proves himself on major stages.
Rob Cross also impressed, reaching the final after wins over Kevin Doets (6-5), Nathan Aspinall (6-2), Tom Sykes (7-2) and others. Cross had won a Players Championship event earlier in the week, and his resurgence comes after announcing his separation from wife Georgia earlier this month. 'In England they often say, "Happy Wife, Happy Life", but in Rob Cross' case it almost seems to be the other way around,' Verbeek observed. 'Cross no longer has to worry about qualifying for the majors this season. The Englishman looks set to feature in all of the sport's biggest televised events.'
Tom Sykes was the breakout star of the weekend, reaching the semi-finals on his European Tour debut. The Englishman defeated Niko Springer (with a 103.64 average), Martin Schindler, Cameron Menzies and Jermaine Wattimena before falling 7-2 to Cross. 'Sykes in particular has always had talent, but it is unlocking it on that big stage and he has done so in spades this weekend on debut. A real take your chance moment,' Gill said. Mats Leering of DartsNieuws.com added: 'It would therefore come as no surprise to me if we were to see Sykes on these podiums more often. The Englishman has a fluid style and already seems to show that he is hardly affected by nerves.'
The tournament also highlighted the danger for big names missing the World Matchplay. Dave Chisnall is set to miss out for the first time since 2010, with Lucas Michael noting: 'Countless chances he has had to get money on the board, but his form has fallen off a cliff.' Damon Heta currently holds the final qualifying spot on the Pro Tour Order of Merit, with a 5.25k gap over Chisnall. Meanwhile, German hopes Martin Schindler and Niko Springer both exited early, ending a run of seven consecutive Euro Tours with at least one German player reaching Sunday. Theo Stodiek of DartsNews.DE praised the Slovakian crowd for creating 'a wonderfully supportive atmosphere' and said the event 'deserves to become a regular fixture on the European Tour in the years to come.'
