Ross Smith and Wessel Nijman are meeting in Bratislava for the right to face Rob Cross in the inaugural Slovak Darts Open final. Cross has already booked his place in the showpiece after beating Tom Sykes 7-2 in the semi-finals, leaving the second semi-final to decide the last remaining place in Sunday night’s final.
The latest official match schedule lists Cross through, with Smith v Nijman still to settle the other half of the final bracket, according to PDC Europe’s Slovak Darts Open updates. That makes the Smith-Nijman clash the live hinge point of finals night at the Incheba Expo.
Cross waits as Smith and Nijman chase history
For Cross, the route has already included a 6-2 quarter-final win over Nathan Aspinall before the emphatic semi-final victory over Sykes. It keeps him one match from becoming the first winner of a European Tour event staged in Slovakia.
Smith reached the semi-finals by beating Andrew Gilding 6-4, while Nijman advanced from the same quarter-final block by defeating Mike De Decker 6-3. Both players now know exactly what is waiting: a best-of-15-leg final against Cross and a chance to claim the £35,000 winner’s prize attached to the ninth European Tour event of the season.
The immediate story is simple. Cross is in. Smith and Nijman must now decide who joins him.
