Luke Woodhouse delivered a perfect nine-dart leg en route to a 6-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode in the opening round of the European Championship in Dortmund. His flawless finish came in the fourth leg, against the throw: successive scores of 180 were followed by treble 20, treble 19 and double 12. The achievement delighted the crowd at the tournament, which runs from 22 to 25 October.
Rather than allowing the occasion to disrupt his performance, Woodhouse regained his composure, held his throw effectively and sealed victory with a bullseye checkout. Reflecting on the match, he emphasised that securing the win had remained his priority. An earlier opportunity to complete a nine-darter at the World Championship had not worked out, and he was determined not to produce a perfect leg only to lose the contest. He also described himself as feeling confident after a very good year.
Awaiting him in the second round is defending champion Gian van Veen, whose 6-4 victory over Andrew Gilding proved more demanding. Gilding repeatedly registered maximum scores, but Van Veen held his throw in the ninth leg before breaking in the tenth, finishing on double eight to secure the match. The result kept the Dutchman in contention to become the European Championship's first back-to-back winner since 2018. Woodhouse therefore faces the reigning title-holder after combining his own perfect leg with a successful start to the tournament.
