Darts results: Nine-dart hero Michael Smith eases past Ronny Huybrechts

By Sporting Life

Darts

Sat February 29, 2020 · 5y ago

Michael Smith enjoyed a comfortable victory over home favourite Ronny Huybrechts on day two of the Belgian Darts Championship.

Just two days after his nine-dart heroics in the Premier League, Smith produced an assured display, averaging 103.28 to win with ease.

He progresses to face Michael van Gerwen, who set up a showdown with Smith with when he beat Mike De Decker 6-3 in the evening.

Martijn Kleermaker made it through to the final day of a European Tour event at his first attempt with a 6-3 success over Joe Cullen.

Kleermaker will meet Mervyn King in the last 16 after King produced a stunning performance to defeat Glen Durrant 6-4 with an average of 105.98.

Durrant was 2-1 up early on courtesy of a 137 finish, but King capped a run of four successive legs by bettering that with a brilliant 140.

Back came Durrant with 12- and 15-dart legs, but Smith was excellent in the 10th leg of the match, throwing 125, 140, 100 and 96 to leave 40, which he hit at the first attempt to advance.

UPDATE

James Wade's victory over Steve Lennon brings an end to the afternoon's action in Hasselt.

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— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 29, 2020

While Smith and King grabbed the headlines, the performance of Danny Noppert was better still as he beat compatriot Jermaine Wattimena 6-2.

Noppert threw five maximums and averaged 108.96, with Wattimena also contributing to an excellent match - the pick of the afternoon in fact.

His reward is a meeting with the world champion, after Peter Wright made Andy Hamilton pay for some sloppy finishing in a 6-2 win.

Dirk van Duijvenbode moved into the last 16 for the first time after defeating number two seed Ian White 6-3, and next for him is a clash with Jeffrey De Zwaan, who finished better than Kim Huybrechts in a 6-4 success.

Krzysztof Ratajski kicked off his 2020 European Tour campaign with a 6-2 triumph over Germany's Gabriel Clemens.

Ratajski, who hit a 114 finish early in the match, will take on Rob Cross on Sunday after the 2019 European Champion eased past Australia's Damon Heta 6-1.

Cross was nowhere near as impressive as Noppert, Smith, and King, yet he led from first to last and bagged an impressive 127 finish before Heta responded with a 134 of his own.

There was never any doubt as to the outcome despite that reply from the Aussie, but Cross may well need to improve on Sunday when he faces the fifth seed, Ratajski.

James Wade got the job done against Steve Lennon, upping his game from 3-2 down to run out a 6-3 winner. He'll play Nathan Aspinall, who took out a brilliant 167 en route to a 6-3 defeat of Steve Beaton.

Saturday February 29
Second Round (Best of 11 legs)
Afternoon Session (12pm GMT)