Dejan Romic/PDC Europe

'Just makes me hungry for the next one' - Damon Heta quickly shakes off heartbreak of European Darts Open final defeat

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 11:15 AM ET

Damon Heta fell agonisingly short of securing his second European Tour title on Sunday evening, as he was edged out 8–6 by Nathan Aspinall in a closely contested final at the 2025 European Darts Open. Despite the defeat, the Australian's strong performance sees him climb to 8th spot in the PDC Order of Merit.

‘The Heat’ produced an impressive run to the final in Leverkusen, dispatching Andreas Harrysson, Matt Campbell and Jonny Clayton along the way. But in the decisive match, it was Aspinall who had the edge, denying Heta a long-awaited second Tour crown. His first — and so far only — European Tour title came in 2022 at the Gibraltar Darts Trophy.

"The final was a game of chances at times," Heta reflected in post-match comments to the PDC. "Fair play to Nathan, he's done really well this year. This just makes me hungry for the next one."

Looking ahead, Heta remains optimistic: "I'm going to go back, keep doing what I'm doing and I just hope things turn around for me and good things come. I'm hoping that I'll be coming into some form and things are going to happen for me."

The Australian admitted the result was bittersweet, but remained philosophical: "I can't be too disheartened, because I've not had a great Euro Tour, so to make the final I've got to look at the positives and I'm just looking forward to the next one," Heta concluded.

With a brief pause in the European Tour calendar, the circuit resumes from 11–13 July with the Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel. Rob Cross will return as defending champion, having defeated Luke Humphries 8–6 in last year’s final.

Heta's next big assignment, however, is the World Cup of Darts, where he’ll once again partner with Simon Whitlock for Australia. The pair famously lifted the trophy in 2022 and will be hoping to replicate that success on the international stage.