Ross Smith finally secured his maiden European Tour title at the International Darts Open in Riesa, defeating Ryan Searle 8-3 in a comprehensive final. After falling short in four previous finals, including the European Darts Grand Prix this year, 'Smudger' has now won a title on the floor, European Tour and major level, putting himself in an exclusive club. The victory was a long time coming for Smith, who had been one of the most accomplished players without a Euro Tour title.
Smith's path to the title included a 6-3 win over Joe Cullen in round two (102.17 average), a 6-4 victory against Ricardo Pietreczko in the last 16 (92.50), a 6-5 quarter-final triumph over Michael van Gerwen (88.17), a 7-0 semi-final whitewash of Cameron Menzies (97.42), and the 8-3 final win over Searle (90.81). The tournament saw top seeds Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen fail to make an impact, while other talents shone in the race for the World Matchplay. Rob Cross, Cameron Menzies and Damon Heta were notable winners in this category, while Dave Chisnall continues to struggle.
Ryan Searle, who had lost one European Tour final before, was once again the runner-up. Other big names still without a Euro Tour title include Chris Dobey, Gian van Veen, Danny Noppert, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Andrew Gilding. The World Matchplay race is heating up, with Rob Cross and Damon Heta making it to Sunday. Cross, who did not even qualify for the event, reached the semi-finals, boosting his hopes for Blackpool. Cameron Menzies also reached his maiden European Tour semi-final after defeating James Wade 6-4, but was then blown away 7-0 by Smith. Menzies now sits 14th in the ProTour Order of Merit.
Michael van Gerwen has now gone more than a year without lifting a European Tour trophy. After a 6-3 victory over Damon Heta in the last 16, he produced a disappointing quarter-final display against Smith, falling 6-5. Gian van Veen managed a 6-3 win over Connor Scutt and a 6-2 victory over Kevin Doets (103.51 average), but then lost 6-3 to Searle. Since reaching the final of the Poland Darts Open, Van Veen has won two games on the European Tour.
German darts disappointed overall, with only Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko recording victories. Pietreczko, with an adjusted throwing action, gave hope to German fans and made it clear he wants to stand alongside Schindler at the World Cup. The crowd in Riesa was described as unusually quiet. Dave Chisnall suffered a heavy 0-6 defeat with an 82 average, likely meaning he could miss the World Matchplay for the first time since 2010. Daryl Gurney also endured a frustrating 2-6 defeat against Kim Huybrechts.
