'Hopefully I can bring my A-game for the rest of the tournament' - Mike De Decker looking for more after Baltic Sea Darts Open win over Suljovic

World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker made a confident start to his Baltic Sea Darts Open campaign on Friday night, easing past the experienced Mensur Suljovic with a 6-2 victory to book his place in round two.

The Belgian was in control for much of the contest and showed flashes of brilliance on the Kiel stage, including a superb 132 checkout to move 2-1 ahead early in the match. That moment proved a real momentum-shifter, with De Decker beginning to dictate proceedings from there.

While the opening exchanges were fairly tight, the turning point came in leg six, where De Decker secured a vital break of throw to stretch his lead to 4-2. Suljovic had his chances to stay in touch but couldn’t capitalise, allowing ‘The Real Deal’ to press home the advantage.

Displaying a calm and clinical edge when it mattered most, De Decker never looked back. He wrapped up the win with a tidy 95.65 average, leaving little room for Suljovic — who never quite got going — to mount any serious challenge.

Reflecting on the performance, ‘The Real Deal’ was pleased with the result but acknowledged there’s still more to come. “I’m glad to go through,” he said post-match. “Hopefully I can bring my A-game tomorrow and for the rest of the tournament.”

De Decker will return to the stage on Saturday afternoon for a tasty second-round clash with Danny Noppert in an all-Benelux battle. The winner will advance to Sunday afternoon’s last 16, where they’ll face either Nathan Aspinall or Ricardo Pietreczko.