Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are both going to be waiting in Blackpool, but fans will be hoping that others can step up in the next Ranking event to bring some more excitement to the sport.
Wessel Nijman is one that stands out, but there are some dangerous players scattered throughout the World Matchplay draw.
Before that, the European Darts Open has to be completed with a title on the line at the end of Sunday.
The Third Round is played in the Day Session before the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are completed in the Evening Session and there are a number of players involved who will believe they can go all the way.
Any selections from the Evening Session will be added to this thread once the Quarter Final lineup has been confirmed.
Wessel Nijman to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be another high quality battle between these two compatriots after Wessel Nijman edged past Dirk van Duijvenbode on the European Tour at the end of May.
That match ended 6-5 in favour of the in-form Wessel Nijman and another close contest is expcted.
It is largely down to the heavy scoring that Dirk van Duijvenbode can produce and he had four maximums in that loss, a number Nijman had to match.
You would expect at least two maximums each in this one and once against Wessel Nijman to find a way to edge into the Evening Session at another European Tour event.
Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Damon Heta: There have been signs that the latter is getting back into the kind of form he was producing in the last couple of years after a pretty underwhelming first six months in 2026.
Damon Heta is a confidence player and can match the best when at his best, but Michael van Gerwen is certainly looking a bit more like his old self.
He came through a tough Second Round match with some big checkouts and strong scoring and that is a combination that could be difficult to deal with in Leverkusen.
The Australian can be a big maximum hitter, but van Gerwen can edge past him in that statistical column and also win this Third Round match.
Kevin Doets to win & over 2.5 180s v Sebastian Bialecki: It will have disappointed Sebastian Bialecki to have missed out on the World Matchplay, but his form over the last twelve months is improving all of the time.
You would think he would be pushing for a top 32 spot next time around, while this weekend he can be free of thought and not concern himself about the tournament beginning in Blackpool next weekend.
Kevin Doets will be there and he has just maintained a strong run of form that has him pushing towards being Seeded for these European Tour events going forward.
Beating an out of sorts Martin Schindler will still have given Doets another push forward in momentum and he was scoring well enough to complete this double and progress to the Quarter Final later in the day.
Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith both over 2.5 180s: My only real concern about this Third Round match is that both Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith will likely have been up late watching the England World Cup Quarter Final that concluded around 2am local time.
With the assumption that neither would have been rushing to go to sleep after the manner in which England progressed, there could be some tired minds on the stage.
It is a concern about the level of performance that may be produced, but the two are scheduled to go out pretty late and that will certainly help.
At their best, both Aspinall and Smith are big maximum hitters and they will know that they will need to score well to get the better of the other. That could help with the focus, as long as there is no significant hangover to deal with, and both are capable of peppering the treble 20 bed in a match that should go at least nine Legs.
Gian van Veen - 1.5 legs v Krzysztof Ratajski: In the last Third Round match in the Day Session, Gian van Veen and Krzysztof Ratajski will be looking to lay down a marker to the other.
A place in the Quarter Final is motivation enough, but these two players also meet in the First Round of the World Matchplay next week.
Gian van Veen is beginning to look stronger after a mid-season slump and he has the scoring and the finishing to make things difficult for any opponent. He should have a little too much for The Polish Eagle in this Third Round contest and the likelihood is that the Dutchman can progress without the need for a final Leg decider as he becomes the last player into the Quarter Final.
MY PICKS: Wessel Nijman to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Kevin Doets to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Gian van Veen - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)
QF PICKS: Luke Woodhouse to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)
James Wade to Win & Over 8.5 Total Legs @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Nathan Aspinall to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)
European Darts Open: 5-5, - 0.66 Units (10 Units Staked, - 6.60% Yield)
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