Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld Ousted Early at Belgian Darts Open
The opening day in Wieze produced shocks and standout performances at the Lecot Belgian Darts Open. Several high-profile players exited early. The tournament continues into round two on Saturday.
Former champions fall
Michael Smith was defeated 6-3 by Ireland’s Mickey Mansell. Mansell hit two ton-plus checkouts, including a 161 finish.
Mickey Mansell now draws Michael van Gerwen in round two. Van Gerwen is a former world champion.
Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld made his first European Tour appearance of 2026. He lost 6-1 to Croatia’s Boris Krcmar.
Krcmar averaged 101 and closed with 116 and 121 finishes. He will meet reigning champion Luke Littler next.
Standout home performances
Kim Huybrechts produced one of the day’s best displays. He averaged 101.76 in a 6-4 win over Niko Springer.
Huybrechts will face Josh Rock in round two. Andy Baetens also impressed in front of the home crowd.
Baetens edged Joe Cullen 6-5 despite Cullen averaging 101. Baetens now meets fifth seed Stephen Bunting.
Other first-round winners
Several seeded and unseeded players advanced on Friday. Notable winners included Dave Chisnall, Luke Woodhouse, Ricky Evans and Ryan Joyce.
Defending European Tour champion Wessel Nijman was beaten 6-3 by Sebastian Bialecki. That loss ended Nijman’s bid for consecutive European Tour titles.
Complete first-round results (20 March 2026)
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Niels Zonneveld v Jani Haavisto | 6-4 |
| Luke Woodhouse v Pascal Devroey | 6-2 |
| Ricky Evans v Scott Williams | 6-2 |
| Ryan Joyce v Adam Gawlas | 6-4 |
| Cameron Menzies v Sietse Lap | 6-1 |
| William O’Connor v Tyler Thorpe | 6-1 |
| Ryan Meikle v Francois Schweyen | 6-4 |
| Mickey Mansell v Michael Smith | 6-3 |
| Dave Chisnall v Thibault Tricole | 6-2 |
| Cristo Reyes v Krzysztof Ratajski | 6-4 |
| Andy Baetens v Joe Cullen | 6-5 |
| Sebastian Bialecki v Wessel Nijman | 6-3 |
| Boris Krcmar v Raymond van Barneveld | 6-1 |
| Daryl Gurney v Ian White | 6-1 |
| Kim Huybrechts v Niko Springer | 6-3 |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode v Lukas Wenig | 6-3 |
Filmogaz.com will follow round two and report on the remaining contenders. Expect more high-quality matches as the tournament progresses.
