Nathan Aspinall Dominates Early Rounds at European Darts Open in Leverkusen

English darts star Nathan Aspinall opened his European Darts Open defence in Leverkusen with a 6‑1 win over Mickey Mansell, posting an average of more than 107. He began the match with a 14‑dart hold and sealed the victory with a 12‑dart finish, joking that people often think he has retired.

The win puts Aspinall into the last‑16, where he will meet Ross Smith in the third round. The tournament also saw German qualifier Jan Schmidt progress after a last‑leg decider against former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker, and top seed Gian van Veen posted a 101+ average in his opening match.

Other notable performances included Michael van Gerwen’s 6‑2 victory over Joe Cullen and Wessel Nijman’s 6‑0 whitewash of Bradley Brooks. The event, held at the Ostermann‑Arena, continues to feature a strong field of international players competing for a European Tour title.