Kevin Doets’ breakthrough 2026 kept moving in Bratislava as the Dutchman swept Damon Heta aside to reach the final day of the Slovak Darts Open. A 6-2 win over the 16th seed gave Doets another strong European Tour result in a season already shaped by a first PDC ranking title, a European Tour final and some huge scoring displays.
Doets averaged 95.10 against Heta, who finished on 89.21 and never fully recovered from a slow start. Doets broke on double eight, held on the same target for 2-0 and moved three legs clear on double three. Heta briefly responded with a break, but Doets broke back immediately for 4-1 before checkouts of 60 and 76 finished the job.
“To be honest, that’s higher than I thought,” Doets said of his average. “I didn’t feel that great today. But I guess Damon wasn’t there, you know. I felt like he could do a lot better. I just felt like I took my chances. Basically all the chances I got, I took. I’m just happy with the win.”
Doets’ 2026 has already changed the way performances like this are viewed. Earlier in the season, he produced a 117.12 average on the European Tour, reached the Austrian Darts Open final and claimed a maiden Players Championship title. Against Heta, he did not need that peak level to win clearly. “I’ve shown everyone that I can play 100-plus regularly, and even 110-plus,” Doets added. “That’s what I aim for every game. It’s not like I’m disappointed with my game today. I’m happy to win this, and 95 is a good game. I just feel like I can do better and hopefully I will do that tomorrow.”
Doets now heads into Sunday in Bratislava with another seeded player removed from his path and another reminder that his 2026 rise is no longer built on isolated flashes. A 95 average was enough this time, but his own target remains higher.
