Cameron Menzies Stuns Van Barneveld With 104.5 Average as Three Former Champions Exit European Darts Grand Prix

There is a version of Cameron Menzies that can trouble anyone in professional darts, and the opening evening of the 2026 European Darts Grand Prix confirmed it is currently very much present. The Scot turned in a 104.5 average against Raymond van Barneveld, a five-time world champion and one of the sport's most decorated figures, to win 6-3 and underline why he is increasingly dangerous on the European Tour. What made it all the more striking was the manner of the finish: three consecutive legs of 11, 13 and 13 darts to close out the match with authority. Closing out a match at that pace, with leg averages well above 100 across those final three visits, is a sign of a player whose concentration sharpened as the finish line approached rather than wavered.

It was, in Menzies' own estimation, arguably the best performance of his year so far. It extended a remarkable personal record against the Dutch icon to five wins from five, a sequence that speaks to something beyond mere confidence. When these two meet, Menzies seems to find a level that eludes him in other contests, and the question heading into round two against former European Champion Ross Smith is whether he can sustain that intensity against a different calibre of opponent.

The broader picture from day one in Sindelfingen is one of significant upheaval at the top of the draw. Three former winners of this very tournament were eliminated before the second round, with Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Ian White all departing the Glaspalast earlier than their seedings and reputations suggested they should. For a tournament that carries important PDC ranking points and considerable prize money, losing three such established names on the opening day immediately reshapes the path to Saturday's final.

Former Champions Pay the Price in Sindelfingen

Rob Cross won the European Darts Grand Prix in 2023, making his 6-2 defeat to Mickey Mansell all the more sobering. Mansell was efficient and composed, averaging 100.32, and his reward is a second-round meeting with seventh seed Stephen Bunting. It is the kind of result that signals a shift in momentum for the Northern Irishman, who will carry genuine belief into that tie. A 100-plus average from a player outside the top seeds is rarely a fluke; it is the marker of someone arriving at a tournament in form rather than merely hoping to find it.

Peter Wright's exit was equally noteworthy. The 2017 champion lost to Jeffrey de Zwaan, a Dutch player who has long possessed the scoring power to beat anyone on a good day. De Zwaan now faces newly-crowned German Darts Grand Prix champion Nathan Aspinall, a fixture that promises fireworks. Meanwhile, Ian White, the 2019 winner, was beaten 6-2 by Wessel Nijman. That result carries particular weight given Nijman's trajectory this season: the European Darts Trophy champion is targeting a fifth PDC ranking title of 2026 this weekend, and he arrives in Sindelfingen as one of the most in-form players in the world. A 6-2 scoreline against a former champion is not the margin of a player scraping through; it is the margin of one who is currently operating at a different level.

Chisnall Grinds Through; Cullen Cruises

Dave Chisnall's route to the second round was considerably harder than his record on this circuit might suggest. The eight-time European Tour winner needed all six legs of a 6-4 contest to defeat Czechia's Petr Krivka, a result that reflects how fiercely competitive the opening round has become as the European Tour's standing in the sport has grown. Chisnall now faces Gerwyn Price in what shapes up as one of the marquee ties of Saturday's evening session, a match between two players who know each other's games intimately and rarely produce a dull encounter. The fact that Chisnall was pushed this hard in round one may actually sharpen him for that contest, but it equally raises questions about his consistency in a best-of-eleven format.

Joe Cullen had a considerably more straightforward afternoon, dismissing Maik Kuivenhoven 6-1 to set up a second-round clash with top seed Gian van Veen. Cullen's emphatic margin of victory will give him confidence heading into that meeting, though Van Veen's status as top seed reflects the Dutch youngster's formidable consistency across the season. How Cullen handles that step up in opposition will be instructive.

Stories Beyond the Headlines

While the bigger names dominated attention, several results from the supporting cast deserve recognition. German home favourite Michael Unterbuchner delivered a performance full of class, landing a hat-trick of ton-plus checkouts during a deciding-leg victory over William O'Connor. That kind of finishing under pressure in a deciding leg is exactly the sort of thing that builds reputation, and Unterbuchner will need every ounce of composure when he faces two-time champion Michael van Gerwen in round two.

Keane Barry continued to demonstrate his growing authority on the PDC circuit. The Irishman converted checkouts of 124 and 130 to seal a 6-3 win over Niels Zonneveld, a player who arrived in Sindelfingen in decent form. Those two finishes reveal a player comfortable on big numbers under match conditions, which is a prerequisite for lasting deep into this kind of event. Hitting those checkouts against a live opponent, rather than in a practice setting, is what separates players capable of a deep run from those who merely threaten one. He now meets Josh Rock, a Premier League regular, and that fixture carries genuine intrigue.

Kim Huybrechts, a former winner of this tournament, avoided the fate of Cross, Wright and White by beating Dirk van Duijvenbode to keep his bid for a second European Darts Grand Prix crown alive. Meanwhile, Oskar Lukasiak's progress was dramatic to say the least: the Swede squandered a 5-1 lead against Daryl Gurney before eventually finding match dart ten to get over the line. That kind of near-collapse could easily have gone the other way, and the experience will either harden him or haunt him going into round two against Danny Noppert.

Damon Heta navigated a difficult opening tie against Madars Razma, whose World Cup experience for Latvia has sharpened his big-stage composure in recent seasons. The Australian won 6-4 and now faces German number one Martin Schindler, a home crowd fixture that will test Heta's mental resilience in an unfamiliar atmosphere.

Saturday's Standout Fixtures

The draw for round two has delivered handsomely. Gary Anderson, defending his title from last year, faces Niko Springer in a fixture that could easily become the afternoon session's defining match. Springer opened his campaign with a 6-1 defeat of newcomer Robin Masino and will be buoyed by playing in front of a partisan German crowd, but Anderson's experience of high-pressure tournament darts is unmatched and he will be fully aware of what is needed.

The evening session carries an extraordinary concentration of quality. Michael van Gerwen against Michael Unterbuchner is a fascinating contest between a proven tournament champion and a home favourite riding the crest of a strong performance. Ross Smith against Cameron Menzies will reveal whether the Scot's brilliance against Van Barneveld was a sustained peak or a one-match spike. Smith himself is a former European Champion and will provide a markedly different test to Van Barneveld, not least because his own scoring output is capable of matching Menzies' at close to that level.

Andrew Gilding, last year's runner-up, returns against Chris Dobey, while the all-Dutch second-round tie between Jermaine Wattimena and Kevin Doets adds further intrigue to the afternoon card. Doets reached the semi-finals in Munich earlier this month and will carry momentum into that encounter. From a neutral perspective, Saturday at the Glaspalast offers as compelling a day of ranking darts as the European Tour has produced this season.

Verdict: Menzies the Story, But the Draw Has Opened Up

Menzies' performance against Van Barneveld was the undeniable talking point of opening day, combining scoring power with a clinical finishing run that would have troubled anyone in the draw. His five consecutive wins over the Dutchman cannot be dismissed as coincidence: there is clearly something in their head-to-head dynamic that brings out the best in him. Whether that translates to a deeper run in Sindelfingen depends entirely on his ability to replicate that level against Ross Smith, a player who is equally capable of posting high averages on his best days.

The broader shift in this tournament's narrative is the vulnerability of experience. Cross, Wright and White collectively represent decades of PDC history, and all three were beaten without ceremony. That is not a temporary blip; it reflects a competitive landscape in which the gap between the established elite and the next tier of players continues to narrow. Nijman, Mansell and De Zwaan are not journeymen: they are proven performers who are now capable of winning ranking titles outright.

With Anderson, Van Gerwen, Aspinall and Gian van Veen all still in the draw, the trophy remains firmly within reach of the tournament's leading seeds. But the first round has issued a clear warning: complacency in Sindelfingen carries a very steep cost, and the second day of action at the Glaspalast looks set to produce more shocks before the weekend is done.

Sources: Match results, statistics, and quotes from Sky Sports Darts coverage of the 2026 European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen.