Luke Woodhouse electrified the Dortmund crowd by hitting a perfect nine-darter during his 6-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode in the first round of the European Championship. The stunning feat occurred in the fourth leg, showcasing two 180s followed by a T20, T19, and a precise D12 finish. Woodhouse maintained his composure, ultimately sealing the match with a bullseye finish.

He now prepares to face Gian van Veen, who narrowly defeated Andrew Gilding 6-4. Van Veen faced a tough challenge against Gilding, who was in fine form, but managed to hold his throw in the ninth leg before breaking on D8 to secure his advancement. Woodhouse expressed his relief and satisfaction, stating, "I didn't want to be one of those people who hit a nine-darter then lost the game."

In other matches, Gerwyn Price dominated former champion Rob Cross with a 6-2 win, extending his strong performance with four consecutive legs. Price will meet Cameron Menzies, who clinched a 6-3 victory over fourth seed Neils Zonneveld.

Ross Smith survived a scare against Karel Sedlacek, winning 6-4 after a tense battle of breaks. He will face Damon Heta, who pulled off a dramatic 6-5 win over James Wade after trailing 3-5.

Stephen Bunting executed a stunning 160 finish to edge out Danny Noppert in a nail-biting 6-5 match, setting up a clash with Kim Huybrechts, who dominated Ryan Searle with a 6-1 victory. Huybrechts stepped in as a late replacement for Luke Humphries, who withdrew due to illness.