Friday evening’s final match at the Flanders Darts Trophy ended in victory for Raymond van Barneveld.
The Dutchman defeated Belgian debutant Xanti van den Bergh 6–4, but it was the post-match interaction between the two that drew the most attention. As the players shook hands, Van Barneveld avoided eye contact—something many dismissed as harmless, yet others criticized as a cold farewell from the five-time world champion towards the young newcomer.
BARNEY COMPLETES THE ROUND TWO LINE-UP!
Raymond van Barneveld is the final player through to Round Two as Barney beats Xanti Van den Bergh 6-3!
📺 https://t.co/YyBPPwoMK8 #ET10 pic.twitter.com/R2kUoQfcat
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) August 29, 2025
On the stage, Van Barneveld was far from satisfied with his own performance. He allowed Van den Bergh to race into a 2–0 lead in front of a home crowd, before recovering to level at 3–3. Ultimately, his vast experience carried him through to a hard-fought win, securing his place in Saturday’s session.
For those less familiar with the Belgian, Xanti van den Bergh is the 10-years-younger brother of world star Dimitri van den Bergh, who was present in the arena to support him. Despite the encouragement, the younger Van den Bergh was unable to convert his strong start into a victory.
While Van Barneveld admitted that his level is still below his own expectations, the Dutchman nonetheless progresses to the next round of the PDC tournament on Belgian soil.
On Saturday evening, he will face Ryan Searle following the match between Kim Huybrechts and James Wade. The session also features several high-profile clashes: Michael van Gerwen against Gian van Veen, Mike de Decker versus Martin Schindler, and Mario Vandenbogaerde closing the night against Jonny Clayton.
Earlier in the afternoon session, more Dutch talent will be in action. Christian Kist is set to take on Damon Heta, while Danny Noppert faces Dirk van Duijvenbode in what promises to be a thrilling all-Dutch contest.