Super Mario Stuns World No.6 Clayton to Thrill Home Fans on Day 2 in Antwerp

Day 2 at the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp brought no shortage of drama. With the top 16 seeds entering the fray, the packed crowd witnessed shocks, standout performances, and moments of home delight across two thrilling sessions.

Mario Vandenbogaerde on his walk-on ahead of his Round 2 game in Antwerp

Afternoon Session

The afternoon session kicked off with Mensur Suljović, who reached the third round of a European Tour event for the first time in three years. The Austrian piled in seven maximums and averaged 96 to edge out World No.9 Rob Cross 6-5, marking a significant moment in his return to form.

Next up was Luke Woodhouse, who put in a professional display to dispatch an out-of-sorts Peter Wright 6-1, with Wright recording his lowest ever PDC career average of 74.62. It was a worrying sign for the Scotsman, who continues to struggle.

Defending champion Dave Chisnall was then sent packing, losing 6-4 to young German Leon Weber in a performance that underlined the unpredictability of the weekend. World No.12 Josh Rock narrowly survived a scare from Karel Sedláček, holding on 6-5 after his opponent missed multiple match darts.

Damon Heta and Krzysztof Ratajski also impressed, both averaging in the mid-90s to overcome Christian Kist and Chris Dobey, respectively. Dobey, once again underperforming, as he remains the highest-ranked player yet to claim a European Tour title.

The session closed with an all-Dutch duel as Danny Noppert eliminated Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4. The contest was tight, but Noppert’s clinical finishing proved decisive, hitting all six of his doubling attempts to secure victory.

Evening Session

James Wade kicked off the evening session by putting a damper on the Antwerp crowd. ‘The Machine’ eliminated home favourite Kim Huybrechts 6-3 in a scrappy affair, averaging just 84.08 in a comfortable win.

Next, Ryan Searle produced an excellent comeback, recovering from 5-3 down to defeat Raymond van Barneveld 6-5. ‘Heavy Metal’ recorded an impressive ton+ average in the process. Daryl Gurney also survived a tight encounter, holding off Ross Smith 6-5 after surviving two match darts. Gurney’s outstanding doubling display saw him hit six of seven attempts at 85.71%.

Stephen Bunting continued his red-hot form from the Pro Tours, following a recent runner-up finish and a win earlier in the week. ‘The Bullet’ produced the second-highest average in the tournament’s young history at 107.47, hitting five maximums and converting 75% of his doubles to hammer Joe Cullen 6-1 in dominant fashion.

Reigning World Champion and World Matchplay Champion Luke Littler returned to European Tour action for the first time in four months with ease. ‘The Nuke’ whitewashed Dylan Slevin 6-0, averaging 101.33, hitting four maximums, and delivering a flawless doubling display with six out of six on the outer ring, marking the second perfect doubling performance of the day following Noppert’s earlier effort.

An all-Dutch clash followed as Gian van Veen recovered from 3-2 down to defeat Michael van Gerwen 6-3. ‘The Giant’ capitalised on a sub-par performance from MvG, who averaged just 89.77, to secure the win.

Belgian hopes suffered another blow as their No.1, Mike De Decker, fell 6-3 to German No.1 Martin Schindler. De Decker struggled to find rhythm and clearly felt the pressure of performing in front of his home crowd.

The session closed with a show-stopping performance from Super Mario Vandenbogaerde. The Belgian stormed into a 5-0 lead over World No.6 Jonny Clayton, and although ‘The Ferret’ pulled three legs back, Vandenbogaerde sealed a memorable 6-3 victory with a clinical 81 checkout. The home crowd erupted as he stunned one of the world’s top players, marking a historic moment in front of his faithful supporters.

🏆 Looking Ahead to Cup Collection Day!

Sunday’s Last 16 ties promise plenty of drama as the tournament heads into its climax with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final in the evening. Saturday’s double session saw eight seeds fall while eight remain, underlining just how unpredictable the Flanders Darts Trophy has been.

Belgian hopes now rest firmly on Mario Vandenbogaerde, who has reached his first European Tour final day, thrilling the home crowd and providing a focal point for local support.

Meanwhile, top stars like Stephen Bunting and Luke Littler look unstoppable, and with shocks and high-quality performances continuing to define the event, the final day is shaping up to be a thrilling conclusion for fans in Antwerp and those tuning in worldwide.