Gian van Veen and Kevin Doets enjoyed dream World Series debuts at the Dutch Darts Masters on Friday, as Luke Humphries and Luke Humphries set up a Quarter-Final showdown.
The opening night of the season’s second World Series event saw five Dutchmen progress to the Quarter-Finals on home soil in Den Bosch.
Last year’s Development Tour Order of Merit winner Van Veen produced a strong display to defeat former World Champion Michael Smith 6-3.
The European Championship semi-finalist reeled off five of the last six legs to punish a below-par Bully Boy.
Doets enjoyed one of the biggest wins of his career to date as he overcame two-time World Champion Peter Wright 6-2.
Doets, who impressed on the opening night of the recent World Championship, losing out 3-2 to Michael Smith despite nine 180s, seized upon another out of sorts showing from Snakebite.
The Dutch star fired in six trademark maximums and averaged 98.3 in a dominant display.
“It’s incredible,” admitted Doets. “To win in front of my home crowd is the best feeling. I love playing on stage, I was the better player and I still feel like I could play a lot better.”
Humphries and Littler will renew their rivalry on Saturday after progressing to the Last Eight with crushing wins over Jermaine Wattimena and Dirk van Duijvenbode respectively.
World Champion Humphries showed his class with a ruthless 6-0 whitewash of Wattimena to begin his bid for a maiden World Series title at De Maaspoort.
He will now meet Littler in the quarter-finals to kick off Saturday’s action – with the pair clashing for the first time since he took victory in their epic World Championship final 24 days ago.
Littler’s bid to win a second successive World Series title began with a 6-2 rout of a struggling Dirk van Duijvenbode.
The 17-year-old landed a nine-darter on his way to glory at the Bahrain Masters a week ago, and opened this tie with one of four 180s before firing in a terrific 150 checkout to seal victory.
“I’m just happy to win my first game,” admitted Littler. “In practice nothing was really going but I thought I played well.
“I’m happy to win tonight and I can’t wait to play again.”
Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld will also collide in the Quarter-Finals after they also progressed in Den Bosch.
Van Gerwen, last week’s Bahrain Masters runner-up, coasted to a 6-1 rout of his close friend Vincent van der Voort.
“I’m glad it’s over, it’s done now, I won the game and I’m glad with that,” said Van Gerwen. “I had to beat him and today wasn’t too bad and I did ok.
“It wasn’t fantastic but I did the right things at the right moments. Anyone who comes on my path I have to beat and I have to make sure I’m there tomorrow.”
Van Barneveld delighted the Dutch crowd with a narrow 6-5 win over Rob Cross, who squandered two match darts in a dramatic deciding leg.
Cross raced into a 2-0 lead with legs of 12 and 13 darts, only for Van Barneveld to win four of the next five as the five-time World Champion edged ahead.
Finishes of 61 and 110 moved Cross back in front at 5-4, but double 18 saved the game for Van Barneveld before missed darts at double 18 and nine in the deciding leg allowed the Dutchman to delight the capacity crowd on double 12.
“It’s always so special,” said Van Barneveld, who finished six doubles from eight attempts in a clinical display.
“We don’t have many events in Holland and it’s fantastic to be in Holland again. I believed in myself and I think the crowd helped me.”
Gerwyn Price shone with a 103.4 average in a 6-3 win over defending champion Dimitri Van den Bergh – who hit back from 4-0 down only to see the Welsh star progress.
World number seven Danny Noppert was a 6-2 winner in a clash of former UK Open champions with Nathan Aspinall in the tournament’s opening tie, landing four 180s and averaging 95.7 in a solid display.
WATCH THE DUTCH DARTS MASTERS STREAMED LIVE HERE
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Dutch Darts Masters 2024 Day One Results
Friday January 26
First Round
Nathan Aspinall 2-6 Danny Noppert
Peter Wright 2-6 Kevin Doets
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Michael Smith 3-6 Gian van Veen
Rob Cross 5-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Luke Littler 6-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Luke Humphries 6-0 Jermaine Wattimena
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
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