Monday afternoon at Alexandra Palace belonged to the underdogs. Kevin Doets pulled off a remarkable comeback to send Nathan Aspinall packing, while tournament debutants Justin Hood and Charlie Manby continued to write their own fairytale stories with comfortable wins.
Doets Does It Again Against Aspinall
If you’re Nathan Aspinall, you really don’t want to see Kevin Doets’ name in the draw. The Dutchman has now beaten him six times on the bounce, and this latest victory might just be the most painful of the lot.
It looked like Aspinall had finally cracked the code when he nailed a sensational 170 checkout to pinch the fifth set and move within touching distance of the last 16. The Ally Pally crowd erupted. Surely this was his moment?
Not quite. Doets had other ideas.
The world number 40 responded with ice in his veins, firing in the first 164 finish of the tournament to drag it back to 3-3. From there, he was utterly ruthless. Aspinall couldn’t buy a double in the decider, missing three darts at double 20 that would have kept him alive. Doets punished every miss, wrapping up a 3-0 final set to book a mouth-watering clash with defending champion Luke Humphries.
“It was difficult to get going,” Doets admitted afterwards. “But after 2-2 I found my focus and felt very comfortable. He made 3-2 with a 170 finish, but after that I felt like I couldn’t miss.”
Three Dutchmen are now through to the last 16. The Netherlands is having quite the tournament.
Hood’s Incredible Debut Rolls On
What a fortnight Justin Hood is having. The debutant has gone from virtual unknown to genuine contender, and his demolition of Ryan Meikle suggests there’s plenty more to come.
Hood came into this tournament having already beaten Nick Kenny and—in what was surely the win of his career—Danny Noppert. That second-round victory saw him average 103, hit 11 maximums, and land a stunning 156 checkout. Not bad for a first trip to the Palace.
Against Meikle, he was at it again. The highlight came when he left his opponent looking utterly dejected with a classy 128 finish on the bullseye—the kind of shot that separates the good from the very good.
Hood will face the winner of Josh Rock versus Callan Rydz in round four. A quarter-final on debut? It’s very much on the cards.
Manby Sees Off Rapid Ricky
When two of the fastest throwers in darts go head to head, you expect fireworks. Charlie Manby and Ricky Evans certainly delivered, but it was the 20-year-old from Huddersfield who came out on top.
Manby is a bricklayer by trade, but he’s been building something special on the oche this fortnight. After edging past Cameron Menzies in round one and thumping Adam Sevada 3-0, he showed real composure against the experienced Evans.
‘Rapid’ Ricky had arrived in decent nick after that epic second-round win over James Wade, but Manby proved too steady when it mattered. After the pair traded the opening four sets, the youngster pulled clear, dropping just one leg in the final two sets to seal a famous win.
This is a player who holds the record for the highest average in Winmau Development Tour history—a ridiculous 130.70 that smashed Luke Littler’s previous best. The pressure of expectation hasn’t fazed him one bit.
Tenth seed Gian van Veen awaits in round four. Another scalp beckons.
What’s On Tonight
The evening session promises even more drama. Josh Rock takes on Callan Rydz in round three before two blockbuster last-16 ties: James Hurrell faces Ryan Searle, and then comes the match everyone’s been waiting for.
Luke Littler against Rob Cross. The 18-year-old phenomenon versus the 2018 world champion. Littler will be heavy favourite after his blistering form so far, but Cross has been there and done it on the biggest stage. If ‘Voltage’ can find his A-game, we could be in for a classic.