Niels Zonneveld marked his return to European Tour action with a hard-fought 6-4 win over Finland's Jani Haavisto in the opening round of the 2026 Belgian Darts Open. The Dutchman, speaking to Tungsten Tales, admitted he expected a smoother contest. "I had a very tough opponent. Maybe I expected it to be a little bit easier, but he was playing really well and I had to be really good to beat him," Zonneveld said. "I did that, so I'm really happy with the win."
The match was briefly disrupted by unusual conditions on stage. After the first leg, Zonneveld noticed a light airflow affecting play. "It was a little bit windy on stage, so I asked my opponent if he felt the same and he said yes. Then you can go to the referee," he explained. Referee Franz Engerer handled the situation, earning praise from Zonneveld. "I think he acted brilliantly. When we started again, my opponent let me start the leg again, which was really sporting from him." The incident fostered a sense of fairness. "It was a really good feeling to have both the referee and your opponent behind you, because something clearly wasn't right. After that first leg, everything was fine and we could just play the game."
Zonneveld's victory in Belgium follows a significant career milestone just a week earlier: his first ever win over Michael van Gerwen. "It was really big for me because I'd never done it before, so it's a milestone. Especially to beat Michael on stage," he noted, while maintaining respect for the Dutch legend. "At the same time, we shouldn't forget he's the best player the Netherlands has ever had, so I have a lot of respect for him. To be honest, he also showed a lot of respect to me after the match."
Reflecting on the state of Dutch darts, Zonneveld sees a bright future. "I think Dutch darts is in a really good place at the moment. There are some very good talents coming through now," he said. "I think maybe behind England, it's the best country in darts right now." He also discussed a recent match against Wessel Nijman, a former neighbor. "It is a strange feeling because you know each other so well, but at the end you're there for yourself," Zonneveld remarked. Nijman won that encounter. "He played so brilliantly, it was unreal, so I have to congratulate him on that win." Despite the rivalry, mutual respect remains. "I think we'll face each other many more times, but it's never easy to play him. Of course you want to win, but if not, you'd rather see him win," Zonneveld concluded. "At the end it was difficult, but he played really well, so fair play to him."
