Niels Zonneveld won his first senior PDC title with an 8-5 victory over Danny Noppert in the Dutch Darts Championship final on Sunday. The all-Dutch final in Maastricht saw a tight contest with the score locked at 2-2 before Zonneveld won three successive legs to pull away. Noppert responded to close the gap to 5-4 but Zonneveld regained control and won back-to-back legs - including a checkout of 157 - to earn a 7-4 lead. Despite a tough battle against Noppert, Zonneveld was then able to see the match out with an 81 checkout, hitting double three to seal the title.
The 28-year-old's route to the final saw him beat Stephen Bunting 7-4 in the semi-finals and that match came following a stunning comeback with a final-leg 6-5 victory in the last eight. Up against Wessel Nijman, Zonneveld recovered from trailing 5-3 to level at 5-5 and was able to pounce after his fellow Dutchman missed a match dart. Noppert also impressed in his run to the final, claiming a 7-5 win over compatriot Gian van Veen in the semi-finals to book his place in the tournament's showpiece.
In the quarter-finals, Bunting clinched a 6-3 win over Damon Heta and hit a 148 checkout, while Van Veen beat Ryan Searle 6-3. Earlier on Sunday, round three provided some upsets as Gerwyn Price was beaten 6-4 by Zonneveld and Nathan Aspinall was thumped 6-1 by Bunting.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing