Luke Woodhouse delivered a nine-darter during his 6-3 first-round victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode at the European Championship in Dortmund. His perfect leg came in the fourth, against the throw: consecutive scores of 180 were followed by triple 20, triple 19, and double 12. The sequence thrilled the crowd, but Woodhouse promptly regained his composure, held his throw effectively, and eventually sealed the match with a bullseye finish.
Reflecting on the achievement, Woodhouse said his priority had been to remain calm and secure the victory rather than allow the occasion to distract him. He recalled an unsuccessful opportunity at the World Championship and described himself as feeling particularly good after a strong year. Above all, he had wanted to avoid producing a nine-darter only to lose the match.
His second-round opponent will be defending champion Gian van Veen, whose 6-4 victory over Andrew Gilding proved more demanding. Gilding's heavy scoring, including repeated maximums, kept the contest competitive. Van Veen held his throw in the ninth leg before securing the decisive break on double eight. That finish preserved his chance of becoming the European Championship's first back-to-back winner since 2018. The tournament runs from October 22 to 25, with Woodhouse and Van Veen now set to meet after contrasting opening-round performances.
