Jimmy van Schie fought back in Maastricht to knock out Kim Huybrechts as first round action continued at the Dutch Darts Championship on Friday evening, with another eight ties on the card for darts fans to enjoy.
Former world champion Michael Smith was set to conclude proceedings, with another solid performance possibly enough to get him into the European Championship. Sebastian Bialecki and Daryl Gurney were also locking horns, with both holding an outside shot of their own. Damon Heta, Mike De Decker, Scott Williams and Cristo Reyes also featured on the evening's bill.
The Dutch Darts Championship 2026 has already seen its share of headlines, with Luke Humphries withdrawing from the event as Joe Cullen sacrificed European Championship involvement, and Rob Cross withdrawing after completing a late U-turn due to 'personal reasons'. Earlier on Friday, the afternoon round-up saw Chisnall, Menzies and Gilding prevail, while Sedlacek boosted his European Championship hopes as Dutch stars dazzled on home soil.
Attention also turned to the question of what time Michael Smith v Stephen Burton was due to start on Friday at the Dutch Darts Championship, with the former world champion's European Championship ambitions hanging on his performance in Maastricht.
