2025 International Darts Open FRIDAY Preview

We made a decent start with a couple of winners this afternoon including one at 5.00. Check out James Punt’s 2025 International Darts Open Friday evening preview and tips below.

Jermain Wattimena vs. Karel Sedlacek

Wattimena has lost five of his last ten matches and there is a lot of inconsistency creeping into his game. He has won both his opening matches on the Euro Tour in 2025 and he is the 1.53 favourite to win this one.

Evil Charlie has also lost five of his last ten matches, but he is playing with much more consistency than Wattimena. He doesn’t have the sort of firepower that Wattimena possesses but he is very straight and he is hitting plenty of mid to high 90 averages.

Their H2H record is 1-1 and both ended 6-3. Their last match was back in 2022.

If Wattimena finds his A game he could blow Sedlacek away, but I think that Sedlacek is playing well enough to at least make a match of it and they might have their first over nine leg encounter.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.20 with Betfair

Ricardo Pietreczko vs. Krzysztof Ratajski

Home advantage for Pietreczko and he may need it. He has lost six of his last ten matches and his 2025 average is just 90. Pikachu has won both his first round matches on the Euro Tour so far in 2025, but he has been handed a much tougher draw this time.

Ratajski has been playing good darts but not getting much out of it. His seasonal average is a very creditable 96.81 and his win rate 67%. The Polish Eagle has won six of his last ten matches and hit six ton plus averages.

Ratajski is the 1.38 favourite and he is 4-0 against Pietreczko. I’ll take him on the handicap.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point Ratajski to win -2.5 legs @ 2.23 with Livescorebet

Raymond van Barneveld vs. Patrick Klingelhöfer

The local qualifier is averaging 82.80 in 2025 and he will have to bring his A game if he is to make much impression on RVB. He played in ET3 last year and lost 0-6 to Daryl Gurney.

Barney was a quarter finalist on Tuesday which will have set him up nicely for what is a very winnable match. He is the 1.20 favourite and I will pass on this one.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: No Bet

Michael Smith vs. Thibault Tricole

Bully Boy is still searching for his best form and he got quite close to it on Tuesday, reaching the final of PC10. He has won seven of his last ten matches and while the consistency isn’t quite there, he is showing better form.

Tricole is in poor form, losing seven of his last ten matches.

Smith is the 1.44 favourite and he should have little problem justifying those odds. No bet.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: No bet

Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Niko Springer

This has the potential to be good. Dirk has won seven of his last ten matches and he is playing a lot of good darts, but still the odd stinker.

Springer has won six of his last ten matches but he is not scoring anywhere nearly as well as Van Duijvenbode. He beat Daryl Gurney in the first round in ET2 but blew a winning chance against MVG in the second round, losing 5-6. He does have a very strong A game, but he needs to improve his B game.

They have met once before, just a few weeks ago, and Dirk won that 6-4. Springer was poor on the doubles that day, missing eleven of them.

Dirk is the 1.80 favourite with Niko 2.10.

Dirk can have problems getting over the line and if Springer can stay with him early on, his chances of winning will get bigger.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 1.91 with Boylesports

Martin Schindler vs. Thomas Lovely

We are on Schindler outright and he is the 1.29 fav to win this one. Lovely has lost six of his last ten matches and playing in front of a big, hostile crowd will be a tough environment. He did take Mike de Decker to a deciding leg in Belgium but an East German crowd on a Friday night will be a bit lively. No bet.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: No Bet

Mike de Decker vs. Daniel Klose

Klose has been around the block a few times and was a tour card holder in 2023-2024. He has played in six Euro Tour events and won just one match, a 6-2 win over Andrew Gilding in 2024. He played Ricardo Pietreczko in ET2 a couple of weeks ago and lost 3-6.

These two have met three times with De Decker winning two, all in 2023. De Decker has won six of his last ten matches and is playing with a good deal of consistency. The Belgian is the 1.27 favourite and he should win with something in hand.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point Mike de Decker to win -1.5 @ 1.90 with Livescorebet

Joe Cullen vs. Robert Owen

Saving the best till last. The crowd will be in raptures at the sight of the GOAT, Joe Cullen. The greatest thing since sliced bread, Cullen has won one of his last seven matches. Magnificent.

Cullen did win PC5 a month ago, but since then he has won just three matches. He played in the Players Championship at the start of the week and played pretty well but only won one match. Cullen was runner up in PC1 and he seems to play in spurts. Have a good run and then go AWOL.

Owen has had a poor run since he made the quarter final of PC5. Since then he has played six and lost five.

Two players who have been losing a lot of matches isn’t up my street. No bet.

2025 International Darts Open Friday Tip: No Bet

-JamesPunt