The opening session of the Belgian Darts Open in Wieze saw Mickey Mansell claim a 6-4 victory over Michael Smith in a match preceded by a social media war of words. The pair did not shake hands before the match, though they did afterward, with Mansell averaging 94 to Smith's near-ton average. Mansell took a 1-0 lead with a 161 checkout, broke with a 110 checkout to lead 3-1, and sealed the win with an 80 checkout after leading 5-2.
In other afternoon action, Ricky Evans defeated Scott Williams 6-2, with Evans averaging 94.5, hitting three 180s and 60% on doubles, while Williams later admitted on Instagram to struggling with dartitis, hitting only 2/12 on doubles. Ryan Meikle staged a comeback to beat Francois Schweyen 6-4 after Schweyen led 4-1, with the Belgian crowd applauding Meikle despite Schweyen's collapse. Niels Zonneveld advanced with a 6-4 win over Jani Haavisto, averaging 101 and hitting four 180s.
Ryan Joyce edged Adam Gawlas 6-4, while Luke Woodhouse beat Pascal Devroey with a 97 average, four 180s, and a 161 checkout. Cameron Menzies cruised past Sietse Lap 6-1, hitting 50% on doubles to set up a clash with Ross Smith. William O'Connor defeated debutant Tyler Thorpe 6-1, averaging 95.97 to book a match against Martin Schindler.
