Dave Chisnall seals second Euro Tour title of 2023 at the Dutch Darts Championship
Dave Chisnall secured his second European Tour title of 2023 at the Dutch Darts Championship with an 8-5 victory over Luke Humphries in the final in Leeuwarden.
Chisnall overcame Humphries in February’s Baltic Sea Darts Open final, and added a second £30,000 top prize by claiming the crown at the WTC Expo.
The Morecambe star had looked on course to race clear in the final, with an 11-dart break of throw helping him establish a three-leg cushion at 4-1.
Humphries defied two 13-darters from Chisnall as he battled back to trail by just one leg, following up a 12-darter with a break of throw.
Chisnall, though, crucially broke back with a 14-darter to lead 7-5 before landing double ten to seal glory.
“Luke is not just a great player, he’s a great friend and I’ve got so much respect for him,” said Chisnall, who has now claimed five European Tour titles.
“You have to play 100 averages to beat him – unfortunately he didn’t play like he did before but I took advantage and hit my doubles.
“Now, it’s so hard – you have to hit 100 averages to win tournaments. All the players are so good – there are no easy games any more.”
Chisnall began Sunday’s action with a 6-3 win over last weekend’s Austrian Open runner-up Josh Rock before thrashing world number two Peter Wright 6-1 in the Quarter-Finals.
The 42-year-old led 3-0 in his Semi-Final against home favourite Van Gerwen before the Dutchman fired in a 170 checkout and hit back from 5-2 down to draw level.
The match eventually went to a deciding leg as seven missed match darts offered Van Gerwen a chance to swoop – but he uncharacteristically spurned three darts at double six to allow Chisnall back to book his spot in the decider.
Humphries, meanwhile, battled past the last two UK Open champions, Andrew Gilding and Danny Noppert, on his way to the final, and also defied a 170 checkout from Damon Heta with a 7-3 Semi-Final victory.
“I’ll always take positives – I feel like I put up a good fight,” admitted Humphries. “Apart from Ryan Searle, [Dave] is my best mate on tour, we get along really well, I know his game inside out.
“Considering he played really well I got close to him, but I’m really disappointed because I played nowhere like I can.
“I know there’s more European Tour titles in me, but I keep running into a fantastic player and I have to give credit to Chizzy. I’m happy to make the final, gutted not to win but the better man won.”
Van Gerwen’s bid to claim Euro Tour glory in his home country was ended at the semi-final stage by Chisnall – who ended an 11-match losing streak on the Euro Tour against his nemesis after MVG had defeated Martin Schindler and Keane Barry earlier on Sunday.
Another Dutchman, Noppert, was a narrow Quarter-Final loser, joining Barry, Wright and Stephen Bunting in exiting at the Last Eight stage.
Dutch Darts Championship 2023 Day Three Results
Sunday April 30
Afternoon Session
Last 16
Keane Barry 6-5 Ryan Searle
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Martin Schindler
Michael Smith 4-6 Peter Wright
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Josh Rock
Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-6 Stephen Bunting
Damon Heta 6-1 Berry van Peer
Nathan Aspinall 5-6 Danny Noppert
Luke Humphries 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Keane Barry 2-6 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 1-6 Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting 2-6 Damon Heta
Danny Noppert 5-6 Luke Humphries
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-7 Dave Chisnall
Damon Heta 3-7 Luke Humphries
Final
Dave Chisnall 8-5 Luke Humphries
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