Sedlacek keeps European Championship hopes alive as Bellmont delivers in Basel

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sedlacek-karel/MgQ7sJG9/"]Sedlacek[/a] recovered from 4-3 down to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bialecki-sebastian/neVAFdz5/"]Sebastian Bialecki[/a] 6-4, averaging more than 100. The Czech broke his opponent’s throw with an 86 checkout on the bullseye and will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nijman-wessel/xCX137Ee/"]Wessel Nijman[/a] for a place in the last 16.[/p][p][b]“I was waiting for my chance and I hit the bull. Super!” [/b]Sedlacek said. [b]“The chance (of qualifying for Dortmund) is still alive. I think I’m still alive too. We will see.”[/b][/p][embed guid="c9ccac9e-4f66-4eef-9b6e-620db1ca229f" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2108544567876182228?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellmont-stefan/Ua5fj0od/"]Bellmont[/a] became the third Swiss player to win a match at the tournament, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilding-andrew/x2eT5hRq/"]Andrew Gilding[/a] 6-3 in the evening session. The 37-year-old won five consecutive legs to claim only his third European Tour match victory and will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ratajski-krzysztof/jNZjSeIT/"]Krzysztof Ratajski[/a] in the second round.[/p][p][b]“Playing in front of your home crowd is very special and I wanted to win so much,”[/b] Bellmont said. [b]“There were quite a few nerves in the early stages, but thankfully I was able to raise my game. I know I will have to play better tomorrow, but for now I just want to enjoy this amazing moment.”[/b][/p][embed guid="92081d5e-ce4f-4ae5-84a0-6dc12e30f8cd" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2108613938304696447?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-michael/fuylyQpD/"]Michael Smith[/a] also kept his European Championship qualification hopes on track with a 6-4 win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/owen-robert/G2KmKWoi/"]Rob Owen[/a]. He will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wattimena-jermaine/0hcDtau6/"]Jermaine Wattimena[/a] for a place in Sunday’s action.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cross-rob/zs8lbtNH/"]Rob Cross[/a] continued his strong form with a 105.95 average in a 6-3 victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vandenbogaerde-mario/61hxO5dH/"]Mario Vandenbogaerde[/a] and will play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woodhouse-luke/QyQzAjPh/"]Luke Woodhouse[/a] in the second round.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brooks-bradley/6k0LXD78/"]Bradley Brooks[/a] averaged more than 100 in a 6-4 win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zonneveld-niels/MeTrr5Fk/"]Niels Zonneveld[/a], with both players averaging above 100 and hitting 13 maximums between them. The former world youth champion has now won all four of his opening-round matches on the European Tour this year and will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dobey-chris/dWj1FjDn/"]Chris Dobey[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kuivenhoven-maik/OOFQaEkA/"]Maik Kuivenhoven[/a] ended a losing run in Basel stretching back almost five years by beating fellow Dutchman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-barneveld-raymond/QyLUYvr0/"]Raymond van Barneveld[/a] 6-3, denying 'Barney' his first European Tour victory of the year.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chisnall-dave/vRDFv29c/"]Dave Chisnall[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bissell-tom/EBj9gX9j/"]Tom Bissell[/a] both won deciding legs against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soutar-alan/0lKCTRWo/"]Alan Soutar[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cullen-joe/A5nTHxhe/"]Joe Cullen[/a] respectively. Bissell claimed only his second European Tour victory, leaving Cullen one place outside the European Championship qualifying positions.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reyes-cristo/Wd5006ea/"]Cristo Reyes[/a] recorded his first European Tour win since May with a 98 average in a victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/menzies-cameron/2NUpDqVt/"]Cameron Menzies[/a] and will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/searle-ryan/UFF3Eh5C/"]Ryan Searle[/a] next.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suljovic-mensur/Y73gOXrH/"]Mensur Suljovic[/a] beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jehirszki-gyorgy/j9o4oiID/"]Gyorgy Jehirszki[/a] 6-3 despite the Hungarian producing two finishes of more than 100, earning him a meeting with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-gerwen-michael/SU4UkKsm/"]Michael van Gerwen[/a] on Saturday evening.[/p][p]Swiss trio [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wellinger-roman/dMvx8vbf/"]Roman Wellinger[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rangel-bruno/Ee9Qxa6T/"]Bruno Stockli[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fehlmann-alexander/pv0dXxUj/"]Alex Fehlmann[/a] all lost, falling to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/springer-niko/t6zcTJUa/"]Niko Springer[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-duijvenbode-dirk/fVUrttSI/"]Dirk van Duijvenbode[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/heta-damon/GYfQQCI6/"]Damon Heta[/a] respectively.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/o-connor-william/pSbuZfV4/"]William O’Connor[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-graaf-jeffrey/QihQLWNE/"]Jeffrey De Graaf[/a] recorded comfortable wins over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haavisto-jani/44fuiCIC/"]Jani Haavisto[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lap-sietse/Wz5jt8Hq/"]Sietse Lap[/a], before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doets-kevin/I14LCcyQ/"]Kevin Doets[/a] closed the day with a 6-3 victory against late replacement [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kenny-nick/jFcDETH7/"]Nick Kenny[/a].[/p][p]The tournament continues on Saturday with two sessions, as the 16 seeded players enter the competition in Basel.[/p][h2]Results[/h2][p][b]Round one - afternoon[/b][/p][p]Bradley Brooks 6-4 Niels Zonneveld[/p][p]William O'Connor 6-1 Jani Haavisto[/p][p]Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Gyorgy Jehirszki[/p][p]Karel Sedlacek 6-4 Sebastian Bialecki[/p][p]Niko Springer 6-1 Roman Wellinger[/p][p]Tom Bissell 6-5 Joe Cullen[/p][p]Cristo Reyes 6-4 Cameron Menzies[/p][p]Rob Cross 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde[/p][p][b]Round one - evening[/b][/p][p]Stefan Bellmont 6-3 Andrew Gilding[/p][p]Jeffrey de Graaf 6-4 Sietse Lap[/p][p]Dave Chisnall 6-5 Alan Soutar[/p][p]Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld[/p][p]Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Bruno Stoeckli[/p][p]Michael Smith 6-4 Rob Owen[/p][p]Damon Heta 6-2 Alex Fehlmann[/p][p]Kevin Doets 6-3 Nick Kenny[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/darts/europe/european-tour-14/"]Follow the Swiss Darts Trophy with Flashscore[/a][/h2]