Smith Targets Full 2027 Schedule After Swiss Darts Trophy Win

Michael Smith has pledged to compete in every tournament in 2027 after opening his Swiss Darts Trophy campaign with a 6-4 victory over Rob Owen in Basel on Friday, October 9, 2026. The former world champion recovered from a 3-1 deficit at St Jakobshalle, keeping his European Championship qualification hopes alive while promising a more consistent presence on the professional circuit.

According to Sky Sports, Smith hit 50 percent of his doubles in only his fourth European Tour appearance of the season. The 2023 world champion will face Jermaine Wattimena on Saturday for a place in Sunday's action as he pursues qualification for the European Championship in Dortmund.

Smith acknowledged his limited participation this season and committed to a different approach next year.

"I've missed this. I want to apologise and also make a promise in 2027 I will be playing 100 per cent of the tournaments. You will see me back," said Smith.

The opening session also produced important results for players competing for European Championship qualification. According to Flashscore, Czech player Karel Sedlacek defeated Sebastian Bialecki 6-4 after trailing 4-3, recording an average above 100 and finishing an 86 checkout on the bullseye to break his opponent's throw.

Sedlacek's victory improved his position in the qualification race and kept his hopes of reaching the Dortmund event alive. He will face Wessel Nijman in the next round.

"I was waiting for my chance and I hit the bull. Super! The chance (of qualifying for Dortmund) is still alive.

I think I'm still alive too. We will see," Sedlacek said.

Swiss player Stefan Bellmont also delivered a notable result in front of his home crowd, defeating Andrew Gilding 6-3. The 37-year-old won five consecutive legs to become the third Swiss player to record a match victory at the tournament, according to Sky Sports.

Bellmont secured only his third European Tour match win and will meet Krzysztof Ratajski in the second round.

"Playing in front of your home crowd is very special and I wanted to win so much," Bellmont said.

The Swiss player described a nervous start before finding his rhythm and acknowledged the challenge awaiting him in the next round.

"There were quite a few nerves in the early stages of the match, but thankfully I was able to raise my game," Bellmont said.

Bellmont also emphasized that he needed to improve his performance despite enjoying the result.

"I know I will have to play better tomorrow but for now I just want to enjoy this amazing moment," Bellmont said.

Rob Cross recorded the day's highest-profile scoring performance, averaging 105.95 in a 6-3 win over Mario Vandenbogaerde. The victory earned Cross a second-round meeting with Luke Woodhouse, according to Sky Sports.

Bradley Brooks also advanced, beating Niels Zonneveld 6-4 with an average above 100. Both players averaged more than 100 and produced 13 maximums between them. Brooks has now won all four of his opening-round matches in European Tour events this year and will face Chris Dobey.

Elsewhere, Maik Kuivenhoven defeated fellow Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld 6-3, ending a losing streak in Basel that had lasted almost five years. The result also denied van Barneveld his first European Tour victory of the year.

Tom Bissell and Dave Chisnall each won 6-5 in deciding-leg finishes against Joe Cullen and Alan Soutar, respectively. Cullen's defeat damaged his chances of European Championship qualification, while Bissell moved forward to face Martin Schindler.

Spain's Cristo Reyes recorded his first European Tour victory since May by defeating Cameron Menzies 6-4 with an average of 98. He will meet Ryan Searle in the next round.

The Swiss Darts Trophy runs from October 9-11 at St Jakobshalle in Basel. The 16 seeded players enter the competition in the second round on Saturday, October 10, with the remaining matches scheduled across afternoon and evening sessions.