Sporting Life
Jelle Klaasen (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)
Jelle Klaasen (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

European Darts Grand Prix: Jelle Klaasen beats Callan Rydz to set up clash with Rob Cross

By Sporting Life
22:03 · FRI May 20, 2022

Jelle Klaasen set up a second-round clash with Rob Cross by beating Callan Rydz 6-4 at the European Darts Grand Prix in Germany.

Former Premier League star Klaasen last competed on the European Tour in 2020, but came through the Associate Member Qualifier to seal a spot in the £140,000 event in Stuttgart.

He impressed in a 6-4 win over World Championship quarter-finalist Rydz on Friday, opening with an 11-darter and a 120 finish to establish a lead he would never surrender.

Klaasen now plays reigning European champion Rob Cross in a tasty second round fixture on Saturday at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle.

Sweden's Johan Engstrom will face world champion Peter Wright in round two after coming through a decider against Gabriel Clemens, while Danny Noppert beat Karel Sedlacek 6-3 to book a meeting with Michael Smith.

Adam Gawlas, a quarter-finalist in the Czech Darts Open last weekend, also shone on Friday with a 100 average in his 6-3 defeat of Ryan Joyce, setting up a clash with Ryan Searle.

April's German Darts Grand Prix finalist Martin Lukeman enjoyed another strong European Tour display as he finished 60% of doubles in a 6-3 defeat of Switzerland's Stefan Bellmont.

Lukeman, who hit a 111 finish and sealed victory with a 10-dart leg, will now play Michael van Gerwen in a stand-out second-round tie.

Joe Murnan whitewashed German qualifier Lukas Wenig to move through to a meeting with Dimitri van den Bergh, while Mickey Mansell's 6-1 defeat of Radek Szaganski ensures he opens round two against Australia's Damon Heta.

Andrew Gilding's dominant 6-1 win over John Michael moves him into a clash with Jose de Sousa, while Ryan Meikle now plays double European Tour event winner Luke Humphries following a strong 6-2 defeat of Ron Meulenkamp.

Rowby-John Rodriguez produced a 12-darter in the deciding leg of his clash with Jim Williams to secure a second-round meeting with Joe Cullen, Thursday's Premier League winner in London.

Stephen Bunting came from 5-2 down to force a decider against Kim Huybrechts, before missing a dart for victory as the Belgian progressed to play Krzysztof Ratajski.

Two-time World champion Adrian Lewis came from 4-1 and 5-2 down to defeat Luke Woodhouse with four straight legs, meaning he now plays Jonny Clayton.

Madars Razma meets Germany's Martin Schindler following a narrow 6-5 win over Niels Zonneveld, while Danny Jansen dropped just one leg in his all-Dutch tie with Martijn Kleermaker to create a second-round meeting with Brendan Dolan.

Saturday's second round sees the 16 seeded players enter the action in Stuttgart, before the tournament concludes on Sunday with the third round in the afternoon session ahead of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in the evening session.

Results

2022 Interwetten European Darts Grand Prix
Friday May 20
First Round
Afternoon Session
Andrew Gilding 6-1 John Michael
Madars Razma 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Adam Gawlas 6-3 Ryan Joyce
Mickey Mansell 6-1 Radek Szaganski
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Stefan Bellmont
Ryan Meikle 6-2 Ron Meulenkamp
Joe Murnan 6-0 Lukas Wenig

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Callan Rydz
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-5 Jim Williams
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Danny Jansen 6-1 Martijn Kleermaker
Nathan Rafferty 6-3 Dragutin Horvat
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Gabriel Clemens 5-6 Johan Engstrom
Karel Sedlacek 3-6 Danny Noppert

Bye: Eddie Lovely

Saturday May 21
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Damon Heta v Mickey Mansell
Dimitri van den Bergh v Joe Murnan
Ryan Searle v Adam Gawlas
Daryl Gurney v Eddie Lovely
Jose de Sousa v Andrew Gilding
Krzysztof Ratajski v Kim Huybrechts
Brendan Dolan v Danny Jansen
Rob Cross v Jelle Klaasen

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Joe Cullen v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Luke Humphries v Ryan Meikle
Jonny Clayton v Adrian Lewis
Michael van Gerwen v Martin Lukeman
Martin Schindler v Madars Razma
Peter Wright v Johan Engstrom
Michael Smith v Danny Noppert
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Nathan Rafferty

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