Darts results: Gerwyn Price wins European Darts Open to claim his seventh title on the European Tour

By Sporting Life

Darts

Mon March 27, 2023 · 2y ago

Gerwyn Price won his seventh European Tour title by defeating Dirk van Duijvenbode 8-7 in Sunday's Interwetten European Darts Open final in Leverkusen.

Fresh from winning back-to-back Premier League nights in Nottingham and Newcastle, the Iceman maintained his hot streak of form with a superb display of darts at the Ostermann Arena.

Price had opened his challenge with a 109 average against Krzysztof Ratajski on Saturday, before upping the ante further to 110 in a 6-2 victory over of world champion Michael Smith in Sunday afternoon's third round.

He then overcame his arch-rival Michael van Gerwen 6-4 with an average of 106 to claim the Dutchman's scalp for the third time in a row in all competitions while he again surpassed three figures during a 7-4 triumph over Danny Noppert.

Price couldn't quite reach those same levels against van Duijvenbode in the final (96.28) but he battled hard in a pulsating contest and fired a stunning 108 checkout in the 14th leg to force a decider after the Dutchman missed two match darts.

The Welshman then ran away with it thanks to visits of 100, 180 and 130 before completing his title-winning 12-darter with a 91 finish.

PRICE WINS THE 2023 EUROPEAN DARTS OPEN 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏆

Gerwyn Price is the 2023 Interwetten European Darts Open champion, beating Dirk van Duijvenbode 8-7 in an incredibly dramatic final!

What a performance this weekend! #ET2 pic.twitter.com/JwMXBi3rJI
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 26, 2023

"I'm happy to get the win," said Price, who draws level with Peter Wright on seven European Tour wins.

"I played brilliant darts all weekend apart from the final. It was a slow game - I had to dig in and grind out the win, and without this crowd behind me it's really difficult.

"This weekend the crowd have been fantastic. I'm back in Germany next weekend so hopefully they'll support me again!"

"I had to dig in, I had to knuckle down to win... without this crowd behind me it would have been really difficult"

Hear from Gerwyn Price after he won his seventh European Tour title, and a dejected Dirk van Duijvenbode after losing in a deciding leg. pic.twitter.com/dGxX1z03gU
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 26, 2023

Van Duijvenbode had survived four missed match darts in an equally dramatic semi-final as he hit back from 6-2 down to deny Rob Cross.

The Dutch star had also defeated European Champion Ross Smith and World Youth Champion Josh Rock on Sunday in an impressive run to the decider.

However, he was denied a third ranking title of the year - having already won two Players Championship events - as he narrowly missed out on a maiden European Tour success.

Reflecting on the final, Van Duijvenbode admitted: "I didn't play my best game but I should have won anyway.

"It is what it is. I don't think it should be that close, I could have [had] some bigger distance [between us] at the beginning, and in the end there's no holding him back.

"That's just the class he has. He's never afraid, he takes out the 108."

Cross' agonising wait for a first European Tour title continues following his semi-final exit, despite a sensational 110 average in his third round win over William O'Connor.

Cross also ended the hopes of emerging German youngster Ricardo Pietreczko in the quarter-finals in another contest which went to a deciding leg.

Noppert was the day's other losing semi-finalist, having ended Dave Chisnall's bid to claim successive European Tour wins in the third round before enjoying a 6-4 quarter-final triumph against Damon Heta.

Pietreczko followed up Saturday's memorable win over Peter Wright by seeing off Stephen Bunting 6-3 to reach his first European Tour quarter-final.