During the first two Tour Card Holder Qualifiers of the year, Spain’s Cristo Reyes stood out by securing a double qualification for the upcoming events in Kraków and Göttingen. There was also reason to cheer from a German perspective: Kai Gotthardt confidently punched his ticket for the ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Trophy.
Qualifier SUPERBET Poland Darts Open
Rob Cross kicked off the day against Cristo Reyes with a 9-darter in the very first leg. Despite this perfect start, the 2018 World Champion was ultimately defeated 4–6 by the newly minted Tour Card holder. Reyes carried that momentum forward, securing two more victories to celebrate his return to the European Tour after a six-year absence.
The SUPERBET Poland Darts Open will also feature special milestones for two newcomers: Carl Sneyd and Marvin Kraft are set to make their European Tour stage debuts in Kraków. Also battling successfully through the qualifiers were Connor Scutt, Ritchie Edhouse, Adam Gawlas, Mickey Mansell, Darryl Pilgrim, Jeffrey De Graaf, and Thomas Lovely, who round out the field for the Poland Darts Open. Notably, all three Polish competitors missed out on qualifying for their home tournament.
Qualifier ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Trophy
In the second qualifier of the day, Cristo Reyes was the only player to complete the “European Tour Double,” securing his spot for the European Darts Trophy as well. Additionally, the crowd in Göttingen can look forward to another European Tour debutant in Shane McGuirk.
From a German perspective, the qualification of Kai Gotthardt is particularly pleasing. For “The Tunnel,” the event in Göttingen will mark the third European Tour appearance of his career. Furthermore, Mario Vandenbogaerde, Darius Labanauskas, Jeffrey de Zwaan, Kevin Doets, Richard Veenstra, Ricky Evans, and Sebastian Bialecki all secured their places in the main draw.
Outlook on the tour
The SUPERBET Poland Darts Open will mark the kick-off of the European Tour from February 20th to 22nd. Just three weeks later, the darts elite will make their first stop of the year in Germany: From March 13th to 15th, 48 of the world’s best players will compete at the LOKHALLE for the ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Trophy. Remaining tickets for both events are available HERE.
