Clayton Stuns Smith as Aspinall Makes Winning Return at Hungarian Darts Trophy

Jonny Clayton sent shockwaves through the Hungarian Darts Trophy on the opening day in Budapest, eliminating World No. 2 Michael Smith with a commanding 6-3 victory. The Welshman delivered an impressive performance, hitting four 180s and finishing six of his 11 attempts at doubles to progress to the second round.

Clayton’s reward for toppling Smith is a Saturday showdown with reigning champion Dave Chisnall, who is aiming for back-to-back Euro Tour titles after his recent win at the Flanders Darts Trophy.

Meanwhile, Nathan Aspinall made a triumphant return to the big stage, overcoming Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 in his first significant appearance since July. Aspinall, who has been sidelined with an elbow injury, showed resilience, winning four of the last five legs to secure his first win in over two months.

“I just needed to get a win,” said the World No. 6, who will face Dutch star Danny Noppert in round two. “I haven’t won a game for two months because I haven’t been playing, so this will give me a lot of confidence.”

Peter Wright also kicked off his campaign with a dramatic 6-5 win against Joe Cullen, closing the match with back-to-back 12-dart legs. Cullen, playing in his 100th European Tour event, fought valiantly but couldn’t stop the two-time World Champion.

Raymond van Barneveld continued his strong form, defeating Ritchie Edhouse 6-3, ending Edhouse’s perfect first-round record on the European Tour in 2024. The Dutch legend will be looking to secure European Championship qualification with a deep run in Budapest.

In other notable results, Gabriel Clemens put in one of the day’s best performances, dismantling Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 to set up a blockbuster second-round clash with World Champion Luke Humphries.

Andrew Gilding booked his place in the next round with a 6-3 victory over Dimitri Van den Bergh, punishing the Belgian for a lackluster display. Gilding will now face 2018 World Champion Rob Cross.

In a dramatic battle, Scott Williams edged past Luke Woodhouse 6-5, fighting back from 5-3 down. Williams survived six match darts from Woodhouse to progress to the second round.

Jim Williams dominated Alan Soutar with a 6-1 win, featuring a 111 and 160 checkout. He will now face Martin Schindler in the second round.

Ten-time TV title winner James Wade also advanced, coming from behind to defeat Lukas Wenig 6-4. Wade’s next challenge will be against rising star Josh Rock.

Elsewhere, Florian Hempel produced a stunning comeback to beat Callan Rydz 6-5 after trailing 5-2, while Niels Zonneveld hit five 180s to edge past Sebastian Bialecki in a deciding leg.

Martin Lukeman held off a late surge from Brendan Dolan to win 6-4, while Keane Barry reeled off four consecutive legs to defeat Darren Beveridge 6-2 in the opening match of the tournament.

Wessel Nijman breezed through with a 6-0 whitewash of Gyorgy Jehirszki, setting up a fascinating tie against Gerwyn Price in round two.

Cor Dekker celebrated his first European Tour victory, overcoming Janos Vegso 6-4, while Alberto Bezjian kept home hopes alive with a 6-4 win over fellow Hungarian Andras Csoka.

The second round will feature some of the sport’s biggest names, including reigning champion Chisnall, three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen, and World No. 1 Luke Humphries.

Watch Live: The Hungarian Darts Trophy will be streamed live via Viaplay and DAZN (for viewers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Fans worldwide can also catch the action on PDCTV and through various bookmakers.