Dave Chisnall continues hot streak with victory in Dutch Darts Championship

By Sports Desk April 30, 2023

Dave Chisnall’s hot run of form on the European Tour continued as he won the Dutch Darts Championship in Leeuwarden.

Chisnall beat Luke Humphries 8-5 in Sunday night’s final to claim his second title of the year following his success in Germany in February.

The 39-year-old outplayed Humphries, who won four titles on last year’s European Tour, in the showpiece, peppering seven 180s and averaging 99.89.

He had to do it the hard way as well as he overcame home favourite Michael van Gerwen in a dramatic semi-final.

Chisnall, having beaten up-and-coming star Josh Rock and two-time world champion Peter Wright earlier in the day, disappointed a partisan crowd after sealing a final-set decider by taking out his seventh match dart – finishing in the ‘madhouse’ double one – with Van Gerwen missing three of his own.

Wright had earlier won a thrilling contest with defending champion Michael Smith, where the pair renewed their rivalry from Thursday night’s feisty Premier League match in Leeds.

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    The world number one saw off Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall before impressively defeating Michael Smith 6-2 in the final in Dublin.

    It gave Humphries control at the top of the table, following victories in Brighton and Nottingham.

    The 29-year-old won the first four legs to take control of the showdown against Smith and wrapped up victory with double 16.

    “The last three weeks have been fantastic,” Humphries told Sky Sports afterwards.

    “The standard has been high. I’m not unbeatable but I’m putting in that stage of performance where it takes something big to beat me and nobody has done that so far.

    “I’m just happy with the way I’m playing and if I keep playing like this then it will take a tough performance to beat me – that’s all I ask of myself.

    “If someone beats me and I play well then I’m not too disappointed but the last three weeks have been a dream.

    “I’m really pleased with the fashion I’ve won the last three nights.”

    Humphries extended his lead to seven points as Michael van Gerwen was beaten 6-5 by Gerwyn Price, who ended a run of four successive quarter-final losses.

    Luke Littler had a night to forget when he lost to Smith – for the third time – in the first round of night eight.

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    It leaves him fifth in the standings after Aspinall gained two points for edging Rob Cross 6-5.

    “It’s my first year in the Prem. Some weeks have gone to plan and some weeks have not,” Littler said.

    “But it’s all about getting the points on the board. Obviously this is the halfway point, whatever happens from now until the end is the crucial part.”

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    Humphries, who also triumphed in Brighton, beat Michael Smith in his opening match and then comfortably saw off Peter Wright to reach a second successive final.

    Aspinall had ended the hopes of Luke Littler with a 6-3 win in the semi-final, but soon found himself trailing against the world number one.

    Humphries had secured an early break to lead 2-0 which he soon extended to 4-1 on the back of another maximum.

    Aspinall clawed a couple of legs back to trail by just one with a break of his own by checking out on double top.

    The world champion, though, made the most of some wayward finishing to take the next leg and move one away, which he set up for a 78 finish, landing treble 18 and double 12.

    Humphries now moves two points clear at the top of the table, with Aspinall sitting fourth.

    “I had two great performances in the first two games, and Nathan was fantastic against Luke, who is such an amazing player – it gets to the point where you are thinking ‘play with two darts’ so Nathan did well to beat him,” Humphries said on Sky Sports.

    “It was not the best final, maybe as we had both played really well we felt the pressure was off us and relaxed a little bit, tried too hard.

    “But back-to-back weeks in the Premier League is really tough, so I am really proud to have done that and to be top of the league.”

    Humphries added: “What me and Luke have done since the worlds has been amazing for the sport. I think the sport is in the best place possible now, with all these players, and is in the best place it has ever been.

    “Hopefully now the crowds can keep getting behind us and enjoying it, because it is going to be an exciting sport for the next nine months.”

    Littler was looking to build on his Belgian Darts Open final victory over Rob Cross, which had included a nine-dart finish, and earlier recorded an impressive 6-2 win against previous league leader Michael Van Gerwen.

    Aspinall, though, produced his own top form in their semi-final clash, landing five maximums with an average of just over 104 to see off the 17-year-old sensation.

    Humphries, meanwhile, hit four maximums as he had little trouble in coasting to a 6-1 win over Wright, who had earlier secured his first points of the competition.

    In the night’s opening quarter-final at the Motorpoint Arena, Wright ended his barren run with his first points on the board when he edged out Gerwyn Price in a last-leg decider after the 2023 runner-up had missed three match darts.

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