Dirk van Duijvenbode showcased his trademark fighting spirit in a nerve-shredding second-round clash at the European Darts Trophy in Göttingen, eventually edging out Rob Cross 6–5. The Dutchman never trailed in the match but faced relentless pressure, with the victory sealed on a double he openly distrusts. After the win, Van Duijvenbode admitted with a laugh, "Especially finishing on my worst double," revealing that double two has long been his least trusted target, joking that double nine is also competing for that title currently. He even told the referee beforehand that if he hit double two, it would likely be luck due to his poor record on it.
Van Duijvenbode started strongly, building a 3–0 lead with heavy scoring and confident finishing, but Cross kept pushing, ensuring the gap remained narrow throughout. A critical moment came when Van Duijvenbode missed a chance to extend his lead further, reflecting on a missed attempt at 80 where he opted for tops because other options weren't favorable with his opponent on a finish. He explained his double preferences: if his opponent isn't on a finish, he goes for 16s because he dislikes double ten. However, this visit went awry when he hit a big 20, leaving him on double 20, which he thought was "not good," eventually leading to a miss on double five—a target he likes even less than double ten.
Frustration crept in at that point, with Van Duijvenbode thinking, "What are you doing, Dirk? It's just self-destruction all the time." He believed that if he had taken that chance, the game would have been settled, but instead, the tension persisted until the end. Despite the doubles drama and a near-comeback from Cross from 4–1 down—where a missed dart at a single denied Cross a match dart—Van Duijvenbode's intensity and ability to battle through difficult situations shone through. He concluded, "But in the end I'm just happy with the win. Sometimes it doesn't really matter how." The victory sets up a third-round meeting with Mensur Suljovic.
