Cullen: 'I knew I was going to win'

European Tour

Joe Cullen explained there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to win the European Darts Matchplay.

2020 PDC Calendar confirmed

News

The 2020 Professional Darts Corporation calendar has been confirmed.

Super Cullen claims maiden European Tour title

European Tour

Joe Cullen claimed his maiden European Tour title in the European Darts Matchplay in Mannheim.

2019 European Darts Matchplay Day Two

European Tour

Michael van Gerwen & Mensur Suljovic were amongst the European Darts Matchplay second round winners.

2019 European Darts Matchplay Day One

European Tour

Kim Huybrechts and Michael Smith were among the players to make it through to the second day of the European Darts Matchplay

2019 European Darts Matchplay: Draw and schedule

European Tour

Check out the draw for the 2019 European Darts Matchplay, the 11th European Tour event of 2019.

Rankings update after ET10

ProTour

Gary Anderson has regained his position as world number four following the Austrian Darts Championship (ET10).

Suljovic: 'I could be World Champion'

European Tour

Mensur Suljovic is dreaming of becoming a World Champion after winning the Austrian Darts Championship.

Vienna glory for home hero Suljovic

European Tour

Mensur Suljovic defeated Michael van Gerwen 8-7 to win the Austrian Darts Championship in Vienna.

2019 Austrian Darts Championship Day Two

European Tour

Michael van Gerwen joined home favourites Mensur Suljovic and Rowby-John Rodriguez in the last 16 in Vienna.

THE PDC, in conjunction with PDC Europe, will stage a series of 13 European Tour events throughout 2019.

Each tournament is worth £140,000 in prize money, and features 48 players who qualify as follows, with all tournaments broadcast online to PDCTV-HD Subscribers and are also streamed through a series of bookmakers' websites.

2019 Czech Darts Open
Tournament Draw Bracket - Second Round Onwards

Michael van Gerwen (1) v Ondrej Plsek/Keegan Brown
Darren Webster (16) v Danny Noppert/Stefan Bellmont
Mensur Suljovic (8) v William Borland/John Henderson
Ricky Evans (9) v Krzysztof Ratajski/Ted Evetts
Peter Wright (5) v Stephen Bunting/Robert Thornton
Joe Cullen (12) v Chris Dobey/Sebastian Steyer
Daryl Gurney (4) v Vaclav Shieferdecker/William O'Connor
Jonny Clayton (13) v Jermaine Wattimena/Kevin Garcia
Ian White (2) v Karel Sedlacek/Brendan Dolan
Nathan Aspinall (15) v Andrew Gilding/Rowby-John Rodriguez
Adrian Lewis (7) v Jamie Hughes/Devon Petersen
Steve Beaton (10) v Ron Meulenkamp/Jan Hlavacek
James Wade (6) v Mervyn King/Steve West
Michael Smith (11) v Wessel Nijman/Corey Cadby
Gerwyn Price (3) v Glen Durrant/Daniel Larsson
Simon Whitlock (14) v Madars Razma/Justin Pipe

Schedule of Play
Friday June 28
First Round
Afternoon Session

Danny Noppert 6-2 Stefan Bellmont
Justin Pipe 6-4 Madars Razma
Jermaine Wattimena 6-0 Kevin Garcia
Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Corey Cadby 6-0 Wessel Nijman
John Henderson 6-3 William Borland
Keegan Brown 6-0 Ondrej Plsek
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez

Evening Session
Glen Durrant 6-1 Daniel Larsson
Mervyn King 6-5 Steve West
William O'Connor 6-0 Vaclav Shieferdecker
Ted Evetts 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Chris Dobey 6-2 Sebastian Steyer
Ron Meulenkamp 6-2 Jan Hlavacek
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Robert Thornton
Jamie Hughes 6-4 Devon Petersen

Saturday June 29
Second Round
Afternoon Session

Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Jonny Clayton
Danny Noppert 6-4 Darren Webster
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Justin Pipe
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Daryl Gurney 6-4 William O'Connor
Ian White 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Ron Meulenkamp 6-4 Steve Beaton
Mervyn King 6-2 James Wade

Evening Session
Ted Evetts 6-3 Ricky Evans
Chris Dobey 6-3 Joe Cullen
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Peter Wright
Keegan Brown 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Mensur Suljovic 6-0 John Henderson
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Glen Durrant
Jamie Hughes 6-0 Adrian Lewis
Corey Cadby 6-5 Michael Smith

Sunday June 30
Afternoon Session

Third Round
Keegan Brown 6-4 Danny Noppert
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Ted Evetts
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Chris Dobey
Daryl Gurney 6-1 Jermaine Wattimena
Ian White 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Jamie Hughes 6-3 Ron Meulenkamp
Mervyn King 6-4 Corey Cadby
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Gerwyn Price

Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Keegan Brown 6-2 Mensur Suljovic
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Jamie Hughes 6-5 Ian White
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Mervyn King 

Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 7-4 Keegan Brown
Jamie Hughes 7-3 Simon Whitlock

Final
Jamie Hughes 8-3 Stephen Bunting

JAMIE HUGHES won his first senior PDC title at the inaugural Czech Darts Open in Prague on Sunday, securing a Betfred World Matchplay debut in the process.

Having won his PDC Tour Card for the first time in January, Hughes took just five months to taste success on the PDC stage, defeating Stephen Bunting 8-3 in the final at the PVA Expo.

The win also secures a maiden appearance at the World Matchplay for a resilient Hughes, who plied his trade on the PDC Challenge Tour in 2018 having failed to win a Tour Card at his first attempt.

"It's an amazing feeling to win my first title, I've worked so hard for this moment," said Hughes, who defeated Devon Petersen, Adrian Lewis, Ron Meulenkamp, Ian White and Simon Whitlock to reach the final.

"I've been playing well for a while now, better than I played this weekend strangely enough, and now I've finally got the results to show for it.

"To make the World Matchplay so soon is fantastic for me and now I can't wait to show the world what I'm about on one of the biggest stages in world darts."

The final of the ninth European Tour event of 2019 was played out by two European Tour final debutants, and it was Bunting who struck first with a break of throw in the opening leg after nervy missed darts at double from Hughes.

Bunting produced an incredible dart through to a blocked bullseye for a 95 checkout to take a 3-1 lead, but that was as good as it got for the world number 18 as Hughes reeled off the next seven legs without reply.

A clinical 83 checkout saw Hughes take the lead for the first time at 4-3, before the biggest moment of the match came in the following leg with Hughes taking out 120 for a double break of throw.

From there, it was Hughes' turn to punish Bunting's missed darts at double as Hughes rattled off the final three legs to become the fifth different winner on the 2019 European Tour and seal the £25,000 top prize.

A winner of two ProTour events in 2014 and 2016, Bunting came close to his first PDC stage title having claimed impressive victories over Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney on his way to the final.

"I am proud of my achievements this weekend, even winning just one game I would've taken positives from," said Bunting.

"It shows progress that I've reached my first European Tour final, hopefully it will be the first of many, and I can take my good form into the upcoming TV events."

The £140,000 event reached its climax on the final day of action, with the Last 16 taking place in the afternoon session, followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in the evening.

Keegan Brown was the other big winner in Prague, as his run to the semi-finals saw him seal a return to the World Matchplay, defeating Michael van Gerwen and Mensur Suljovic along the way.

Corey Cadby's European Tour debut was ended by Mervyn King in the Last 16, while Saturday's nine-dart hero Gerwyn Price was knocked out by Whitlock.