Boris Krcmar edges out Gian van Veen at the Dutch Darts Championship as Mansell denies De Decker

Boris Krcmar pulled off an impressive win over home favourite Gian van Veen in Round One of the Dutch Darts Championship in Rosmalen on Friday.

World Youth Champion Van Veen was one of eight Dutchmen to bow out on Day One at the Autotron as he squandered a 4-2 lead at the hands of in-form Croatian Krcmar.

Krcmar averaged 100.8 and landed five 180s in a fine display to edge out the world number 23 in a deciding leg shootout.

Meanwhile, Mickey Mansell booked his place in round two with a 6-5 victory over World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker in a contest which saw every leg go with throw.

Dirk van Duijvenbode was one of four Dutch stars to triumph during an eventful opening day, with Raymond van Barneveld, Wessel Nijman and Jeffrey Sparidaans also prevailing.

Van Duijvenbode took centre stage with a 6-0 whitewash of Finland’s Teemu Harju, averaging 102.5 and sealing the rout with a 164 checkout.

Van Barneveld was pushed all the way to a deciding-leg by Host Nation Qualifier Jerry Hendriks, but the five-time World Champion kept his composure to prevail with a 97 average and five 180s.

Nijman also came through an all-Dutch clash against Berry van Peer, surviving three match darts in the penultimate leg to set up a tie with Peter Wright in Saturday’s Second Round.

Sparidaans was the solitary Host Nation Qualifier to advance on Friday, dispatching former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding 6-2..

Jermaine Wattimena was also denied on home soil by German star Niko Springer – who averaged 99 to join his fellow countrymen Ricardo Pietreczko and Max Hopp in Round Two.

Pietreczko moved into the provisional qualification places for July’s World Matchplay with a 6-1 thrashing of Karel Sedlacek.

Hopp, meanwhile, recorded a hard-fought 6-3 win over Luke Woodhouse, but Lukas Wenig was unable to complete the clean sweep, going down 6-2 to a clinical Martin Lukeman.

Kim Huybrechts succumbed in a decider against European Champion Ritchie Edhouse, with the pair exchanging words on stage at the end of a feisty encounter.

Mario Vandenbogaerde averaged 99.8 in a 6-4 win over Niels Zonneveld, while Daryl Gurney overcame Maik Kuivenhoven by the same scoreline to boost his hopes of World Matchplay qualification.

Ryan Joyce – also in the hunt for a place at the Winter Gardens – survived match darts to win through a dramatic affair against the returning Jeffrey de Zwaan.

Suffolk star Ryan Meikle romped to a 6-1 demolition of a struggling Joe Cullen – who squandered a staggering 15 darts at doubles.

Dutch Darts Championship 2025 Day One Results

Friday May 23

First Round

Afternoon Session
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-1 Karel Sedlacek
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Berry van Peer
Martin Lukeman 6-2 Lukas Wenig
Ryan Joyce 6-5 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Niels Zonneveld 4-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Andrew Gilding 2-6 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Luke Woodhouse 3-6 Max Hopp

Evening Session
Joe Cullen 1-6 Ryan Meikle
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven
Mike De Decker 5-6 Mickey Mansell
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Wesley Plaisier
Gian van Veen 5-6 Boris Krcmar
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Jerry Hendriks
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-0 Teemu Harju
Jermaine Wattimena 3-6 Niko Springer