The sold-out Zenith in Munich experienced a Saturday that one man in particular will never forget: in front of a home crowd at the ELTEN Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix, Marcel Hausotter defeated five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld. Meanwhile, Kim Huybrechts made history in his 200th European Tour match, while Wessel Nijman continues to struggle following his recent triumph in Göttingen.
The Berliner’s Fairytale
If you know the story of Marcel Hausotter, you understand the weight of this victory. The Berlin native played his first European Tour match in 2014 at the German Darts Masters. After losing to Kirk Shepherd then, he vanished from the big stage for many years. A single appearance in Leeuwarden followed in 2023, but he remained without a win until this Saturday night.
At the Zenith, “Hausi” faced Raymond van Barneveld—a five-time World Champion, Premier League winner, and one of the sport’s greatest legends. Hausotter remained unfazed. With an average of 88.13 points and a checkout percentage of 37.5 percent, he played one of the biggest matches of his career to win 6:4. Hausotter himself was almost in disbelief: his heart rate was still at 136 bpm when he confessed in the interview that he had remained completely focused on stage. It was his first-ever win on the Winamax PDC European Tour after three appearances, twelve years, and a long journey back to the spotlight. On Sunday, his next challenge awaits in the form of Jonny Clayton.
Huybrechts Celebrates 200th European Tour Match with Win Over Wright
While Hausotter’s story stole the limelight, Kim Huybrechts quietly set his own record. The Belgian played his 200th European Tour match against Peter Wright, marking the milestone with a well-deserved 6:3 victory over “Snakebite.” Having finished the Belgian Darts Open in Wieze as one of the standout players, Munich serves as further proof of his impressive return to top form.
Springer and Pietreczko with Thriller Performances
From a German perspective, several players delivered in the evening session. Niko Springer won an all-German duel against Jan Schmidt after a hard-fought battle ending 6:5, and will face defending champion Michael van Gerwen on Sunday. Ricardo Pietreczko also progressed narrowly, edging out Ian White with a 6:5 victory.
Nijman’s European Tour Crisis Post-Göttingen
Wessel Nijman, who won his first career European Tour title in Göttingen just three weeks ago, has now lost in the first round for the second consecutive time. This time, he fell 4:6 to Andrew Gilding. It appears that the title win has, for the time being, stripped the Dutchman of his form on the European Tour.
Another surprise was provided by Patrik Kovacs: the Eastern European Qualifier defeated Joe Cullen 6:3, celebrating his first-ever win on the European Tour after eight previous unsuccessful attempts.
All Results from Saturday
William O’Connor 6:2 Sebastian Bialecki
Ryan Joyce 6:1 Finn Behrens
Krzysztof Ratajski 6:3 Thomas Lovely
Niels Zonneveld 6:3 Adam Lipscombe
Cameron Menzies 4:6 Karel Sedlacek
Ritchie Edhouse 6:3 Kevin Troppmann
Wessel Nijman 4:6 Andrew Gilding
Joe Cullen 3:6 Patrik Kovacs
Michael Smith 6:2 James Hurrell
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6:2 Stephen Burton
Brendan Dolan 6:5 Cor Dekker
Kevin Doets 6:0 Anton Ostlund
Raymond van Barneveld 4:6 Marcel Hausotter
Peter Wright 3:6 Kim Huybrechts
Ricardo Pietreczko 6:5 Ian White
Niko Springer 6:5 Jan Schmidt
Sunday Outlook
On Sunday, the Top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit enter the fray at the German Darts Grand Prix. Notable matchups include Marcel Hausotter vs. Jonny Clayton, Niko Springer challenging Michael van Gerwen, and William O’Connor facing Gian van Veen. The Zenith awaits its next big day.
