Dave Chisnall and Luke Humphries

Darts results: Dave Chisnall wins opening European Tour event of the season

By Sporting Life

Darts

Sun February 26, 2023 · 2y ago

Dave Chisnall defeated Luke Humphries in the Baltic Sea Darts Open final to win the opening European Tour event of the season.

The St Helens thrower threw eight 180s and averaged 101 in a thrilling 8-5 victory over the top seed at the Wunderino Arena in Kiel as he claimed the fourth European Tour trophy of his career and his 18th PDC title overall.

Humphries had won four European Tour titles during 2022 and was bidding to back up his number one seeding with another success - but saw Chisnall prove too strong in an entertaining final.

The Morecambe ace took the opening three legs without reply, capitalising on four early missed doubles from Humphries to take command.

Humphries hit back to level, landing legs of 13 and 12 darts along the way, and also shared the next two before Chisnall pulled clear.

Legs of 12 and 13 darts gave Chisnall breathing space, and double five gave him a third successive leg - and though Humphries took the next to keep his hopes alive, double five for a 13-darter sealed glory.

Chizzy, won the 2022 Belgian Darts Open, 2019 Danish Darts Open and the 2013 German Darts Championship, produced an array of sensational displays across the weekend but his best was saved for Gerwyn Price earlier in the day.

Chisnall hit nine of the 15 maximums and averaged 107.04 compared to Price's 108.29 in an epic third-round meeting which he won 6-4 - although he couldn't maintain those levels in a battling 6-5 triumph over Martin Schindler in the quarter-finals.

Chizzy saw off the in-form Jonny Clayton 7-5 in the semi-finals with an average of 94.16 but rediscovered his A-game for Humphries, who had played some superb darts himself throughout the day.

Cool Hand overcame Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 before ousting Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 in a match that saw both players average 100, while he also had to be on top form to defy Ryan Searle's 101 average in the semi-final that he pinched 7-6.

"I've had a great tournament," said Chisnall, who hit eight 180s in the final. "Luke is phenomenal, so I'm glad to get a win over him.

"You always need a bit of luck, and I think both Jonny Clayton and Martin Schindler could have both beaten me but I dug deep.

"I'm playing good darts at the moment and hopefully it continues. I love playing in front of [German fans], they've been a great crowd and gave me so much respect."

Humphries said: "I can look back on this final and know I had my chances," he said. "I felt good, there was no fatigue but they weren't dropping in when I wanted them to and sometimes that happens.

"Five European Tour finals in my last 11 tournaments is some going, and proves that I've got the game. I've shown a little bit this weekend [to say] 'Don't write me off, I'm still a decent player'.

"Chizzy was fantastic and played well, and was a deserving winner but I feel like [I had] a little bit of a point to prove maybe and I can still play good darts."