Schmidt & Doets stage comebacks vs Menzies & Gruellich on opening day of European Darts Open

[p]The 21-year-old trailed 5-1 before reeling off five consecutive legs to complete an unlikely turnaround and set up a second-round meeting with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-decker-mike/ARzd8nfD/"]Mike De Decker[/a].[/p][p][b]“I don’t know what just happened,” [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schmidt-jan/djlwpSo3/"]Schmidt[/a] said after the match.[/p][p][b]“The first half of the match wasn’t the best, but then things just clicked and went my way.[/b][/p][p][b]“I really came here believing that I’m capable of winning on the European Tour, and I took this belief on to the stage.”[/b][/p][embed guid="dc592339-dacf-47bb-ac01-b612ba07361b" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2075576614688108656?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Elsewhere, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/springer-niko/t6zcTJUa/"]Niko Springer[/a] delighted the home crowd with a resounding 6-2 victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/labanauskas-darius/xEYlNLtI/"]Darius Labanauskas[/a], averaging 105.21 to book a meeting with top seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-veen-gian/jgT1AT29/"]Gian van Veen[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hopp-max/O0XAR4zC/"]Max Hopp[/a] also enjoyed a notable win, knocking out former world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cross-rob/zs8lbtNH/"]Rob Cross[/a] 6-3 to continue the German success in Leverkusen.[/p][image alt="Hopp reacts" id="5897f3db-3029-4c84-ab89-198f8b4e41ab" credit-line="Sebastian Doppstadt / PDC Europe" guid="f01ab9d1-59a8-4e02-9821-835f7f522a41" original-width="1250" original-height="833" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doets-kevin/I14LCcyQ/"]Kevin Doets[/a] recovered to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gruellich-dominik/QF73Q2Vh/"]Dominik Gruellich[/a] and will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clayton-jonny/tx0y2xRD/"]Jonny Clayton[/a] in the second round, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cullen-joe/A5nTHxhe/"]Joe Cullen[/a] overcame [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/manby-charlie/bPLltm0n/"]Charlie Manby[/a] to earn a meeting with five-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-gerwen-michael/SU4UkKsm/"]Michael van Gerwen[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/owen-robert/G2KmKWoi/"]Rob Owen[/a] survived a deciding leg to defeat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilding-andrew/x2eT5hRq/"]Andrew Gilding[/a] after hitting eight 180s, setting up a clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/heta-damon/GYfQQCI6/"]Damon Heta[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sedlacek-karel/MgQ7sJG9/"]Karel Sedlacek[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bialecki-sebastian/neVAFdz5/"]Sebastian Bialecki[/a] also came through last-leg deciders, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kuivenhoven-maik/OOFQaEkA/"]Maik Kuivenhoven[/a] compounded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gurney-daryl/UBbHHv2p/"]Daryl Gurney[/a]'s disappointing week.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mansell-mickey/YwMlpo1o/"]Mickey Mansell[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/huybrechts-kim/OQVnQ1fc/"]Kim Huybrechts[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-duijvenbode-dirk/fVUrttSI/"]Dirk van Duijvenbode[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zonneveld-niels/MeTrr5Fk/"]Niels Zonneveld[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joyce-ryan/tYs5VMm6/"]Ryan Joyce[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brooks-bradley/6k0LXD78/"]Bradley Brooks[/a] were also among the first-round winners, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/horvat-dragutin/fRgT1ecJ/"]Dragutin Horvat[/a] secured his first European Tour victory since 2023 by beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vandenbogaerde-mario/61hxO5dH/"]Mario Vandenbogaerde[/a].[/p][h2]Results[/h2][p][b]Round one - afternoon[/b][/p][p]Ryan Joyce 6-1 Mio Varila[/p][p]Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Rhys Griffin[/p][p]Dragutin Horvat 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde[/p][p]Rob Owen 6-5 Andrew Gilding[/p][p]Jan Schmidt 6-5 Cameron Menzies[/p][p]Mickey Mansell 6-1 Michal Smejda[/p][p]Bradley Brooks 6-2 Lukas Wenig[/p][p]Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Jaimy Van de Weerd[/p][p][b]Round one - evening[/b][/p][p]Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Samuel Price[/p][p]Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Daryl Gurney[/p][p]Sebastian Bialecki 6-5 William O'Connor[/p][p]Max Hopp 6-3 Rob Cross[/p][p]Joe Cullen 6-4 Charlie Manby[/p][p]Kevin Doets 6-4 Dominik Gruellich[/p][p]Niko Springer 6-2 Darius Labanauskas[/p][p]Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Daniel Klose[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/darts/europe/european-tour-10/"]Catch up on ET10 here with Flashscore[/a][/h2]