Ryan Searle set up a showdown with world champion Luke Littler and Mike De Decker booked a reunion with world No 1 Luke Humphries during day one of the Lecot Belgian Darts Open.
Searle opened his challenge with a resounding 6-2 win against Darryl Pilgrim, booking a second-round meeting with defending champion Littler – who won on debut last year – on Saturday evening.
Home favourite De Decker overcame a major scare against Thomas Lovely at the Oktoberhallen, where he survived two match darts when 5-4 down before coming through a final-leg decider.
Can Mike De Decker cause another upset against world No 1 Luke Humphries?
The 29-year-old will now go head-to-head on the big stage with Humphries for the first time since De Decker beat him to claim a TV title in October’s BoyleSports World Grand Prix.
“This crowd have been amazing for the last four years, and I’m so happy I could get through for them tonight,” reflected De Decker. “I just wanted to play well.
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Highlights of the World Grand Prix 2024 between Luke Humphries and Mike De Decker
“I was playing really well backstage, but I’m still trying to find confidence with my set-up. Tomorrow I might ask Luke if we can play double-in double-out, because then I know I can win!”
Daryl Gurney was Friday’s stand-out performer, averaging 106 and landing a brace of ton-plus finishes to dispatch Thibault Tricole 6-1 and secure a second-round clash against Danny Noppert.
Dutch duo Dirk van Duijvenbode and Gian van Veen also celebrated comeback victories, overturning 4-1 deficits against Darius Labanauskas and James Hurrell respectively.
Michael Smith was among the other high-profile first-round winners, converting a sensational 125 finish on the bull en route to a 6-5 success against a tenacious Ryan Joyce, while Raymond van Barneveld progressed and will face UK Open runner-up James Wade on Saturday.
European Champion Ritchie Edhouse ran out a 6-4 winner against Owen Bates in a high-quality affair and will now play a resurgent Nathan Aspinall for a place in the last 16, with the second round played across two sessions on Saturday.
Saturday’s schedule and second-round draw
Afternoon Session (12pm)
Danny Noppert vs Daryl Gurney
Gary Anderson vs Luke Woodhouse
Dave Chisnall vs Ricardo Pietreczko
Jonny Clayton vs Wessel Nijman
Rob Cross vs Ross Smith
Damon Heta vs Michael Smith
Stephen Bunting vs Jermaine Wattimena
Nathan Aspinall vs Ritchie Edhouse
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Luke Humphries hit a nine-darter but lost to Rob Cross in the quarter-finals of the Premier league on Thursday; Cross then hit a nine-darter in his semi-final loss to Nathan Aspinall
Evening Session (6pm)
James Wade vs Raymond van Barneveld
Peter Wright vs Matt Campbell
Gerwyn Price vs Gian van Veen
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Schindler/Long
Luke Humphries vs Mike De Decker
Luke Littler vs Ryan Searle
Michael van Gerwen vs Boris Krcmar
Chris Dobey vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
Sunday March 9
Afternoon Session (12pm)
Third Round
Evening Session (6pm)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
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Luke Littler says his main goal is reaching the top four after beating Nathan Aspinall in the final of Night 5 of the Premier League in Brighton
Where does the Premier League head next?
The Premier League continues at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham on Thursday, March 13 as Luke Humphries and Luke Littler clash in a titanic encounter. Watch Night Six of Premier League Darts, in Nottingham, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 7pm – stream with NOW.
Sky Sports will once again be the home of the Premier League in 2025, with every night exclusively live along with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more! Stream darts and more top sport with NOW
