Aspinall - a winner of three European Tour titles in 2025 - returned to winning ways in Munich, defying a spirited fightback from Noppert to claim the £35,000 top prize. The Stockport star rattled off four consecutive legs from 5-4 adrift to triumph at the Zenith, averaging 100.35 and posting seven 180s to curtail the Dutchman’s bid for a maiden European Tour crown.
Having survived a match dart in his opening round tie against Ricardo Pietreczko on Sunday, Aspinall kicked off Finals Day by accounting for Pietreczko’s World Cup partner Martin Schindler.
The former World Matchplay champion won six straight legs from 2-0 down to dispatch the German number one, which he backed up with an attritional 6-4 win against Andrew Gilding in the last eight. Aspinall then produced his performance of the weekend in the semi-finals, averaging 106.40 to demolish Kevin Doets 7-2, ending a sequence of six successive defeats against the Dutchman.
This set up a blockbuster showdown against Noppert in Sunday’s showpiece, and Aspinall appeared poised to cruise to victory after following up an 11-darter with a 108 combination to lead 4-1. However, Noppert capitalised on his opponent’s brief doubling woes to force an unlikely turnaround, winning four straight legs of his own to seize the initiative at 5-4. Nevertheless, Noppert’s revival was short-lived, as Aspinall responded with legs of 13, 12 and 15 darts to lead 7-5, before converting a clinical 128 checkout to cap off a brilliant display.
Noppert – featuring in his fourth European Tour final – reaffirmed his credentials on an action-packed Easter weekend, which began with a deciding-leg win over Ritchie Edhouse on Sunday afternoon. The 2022 UK Open champion then conceded just five legs in a hat-trick of victories on Finals Day, dumping out Karel Sedlacek, Jonny Clayton and Krzysztof Ratajski in the process.
Ratajski averaged almost 99 in accounting for Ryan Searle and Ross Smith in his run to the semi-finals, while he also ran out a convincing 6-2 winner against 2023 champion Michael Smith in the quarter-finals. Poland’s premier player was joined in the final four by Dutch star Doets, who produced a host of magical moments in advancing to his maiden European Tour semi-final.
Having landed 170 checkouts in wins over Anton Ostlund and James Wade, Doets averaged 107.7 and fired in an astonishing ten 180s to edge past Dirk van Duijvenbode in an epic round three contest. Doets then emerged victorious in another deciding-leg affair against fellow countryman Niels Zonneveld, surviving three match darts in a dramatic conclusion to proceedings.
Zonneveld was featuring in his third consecutive European Tour quarter-final, having averaged north of 103 in dumping out Premier League star Josh Rock earlier in the day. The left-hander was joined in the last eight by Gilding, Smith and Welsh number one Clayton, who averaged 104.78 in defeating a resurgent Kim Huybrechts in arguably the game of the day in Munich.
The PDC ProTour season will resume with a Players Championship double-header in Wigan from April 13-14, before the 2026 Winamax European Tour continues with the European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen from April 17-19.
2026 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix
Monday April 6
Round Three
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Danny Noppert 6-2 Karel Sedlacek
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Ross Smith
Michael Smith 6-4 Niko Springer
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Josh Rock
Kevin Doets 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Martin Schindler
Andrew Gilding 6-1 William O'Connor
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Danny Noppert 6-1 Jonny Clayton
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Michael Smith
Kevin Doets 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Semi-Finals
Danny Noppert 7-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
Nathan Aspinall 7-2 Kevin Doets
Final
Nathan Aspinall 8-5 Danny Noppert