Wessel Nijman secured the biggest title of his career at the European Darts Trophy last weekend, but the aftermath was far from glamorous. In a podcast with Damian Vlottes and Vincent van der Voort, Nijman revealed that he and a friend had agreed to drive straight home if they lost—and ended up doing so even after the win, with Nijman in bed by around half past two because his friend had to work the next day.
The tournament began sluggishly for Nijman, who admitted his checkouts didn't go well in his opening match against Cristo Reyes. However, he said the rest of the weekend was "pretty much flawless," especially on checkouts between sixty and a hundred and big finishes at key moments. After that, he beat opponent after opponent convincingly, often with clear scorelines and sky-high averages. Van der Voort noted that after a few legs, matches were often already done, even against Gerwyn Price, and Nijman credited early leads for making the second half of matches more comfortable.
Nijman began to believe in the title after his match against Gian van Veen, thinking it could be "one of those days." The draw helped as big names fell away, opening his path to the final. In the semifinal, he faced friend Niels Zonneveld, which he admitted was not pleasant, but he produced a phenomenal display that left few chances. Van der Voort said Zonneveld was "simply outclassed," and Nijman noted he doesn't look at opponents during play, so he didn't pick up on Zonneveld's nerves.
In the final, Nijman beat Gerwyn Price, having also defeated him recently in a Pro Tour final, which bred confidence. Nijman joked they might trade wins, but he'd "rather win this one." Van der Voort highlighted Nijman's consistent high-level performances, with averages this weekend of 112, 110, and 106, and noted his tournament average was skewed by the first match. Despite the title, Nijman remains ambitious, with a goal to reach the top 16, possibly by the end of the year or towards the Worlds.
