Koen den Hartog and Klaas Buijsman have shaken up Assen. The Dutch duo survived five match darts in the final of the doubles tournament, eventually securing the victory at the Dutch Open.

After a Friday full of surprises, two unexpected pairs found themselves in the final of the doubles tournament at the Dutch Open. Koen den Hartog and Klaas Buijsman stunned everyone by making it to the final, while few had predicted Sybren Gijbels and Dimitri Hermans to be there as well. The Dutch pair showed no signs of nerves in the first leg, as they cleared 701 points in 23 darts. The Belgian duo responded even better, leveling the score quickly with a 21-darter.

The teams traded breaks twice, and the following four legs were all won by the players who did not start the leg. Sybren Gijbels was clearly the best player on stage, something he underlined with a 101 finish. At 3-3, it seemed the Belgian pair might take control of the match for the first time. After four misses from the Dutch duo, they went ahead 4-3, but then they shot themselves in the foot. In the eighth leg, they missed four match darts, sending the match into a decider. Dimitri Hermans had another shot at victory in the final leg, but missed. Klaas Buijsman remained ice-cold and sent the crowd into a frenzy as the two West Frisians clinched their biggest title ever by winning the Dutch Open.

Averages
Sybren Gijbels/Dimitri Hermans: 78,61
Koen den Hartog/Klaas Buijsman: 77,63

Text: Dartsactueel

Photo: Bas van den Berk