Nathan Aspinall won his second European Tour title of 2025 in dramatic fashion on Sunday night, defeating Damon Heta 8-6 to take victory in the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Open.
With seven separate players having shared glory in the year's previous European Tour events, Aspinall became the first double winner of 2025 to scoop the £30,000 top prize.
The Stockport ace had finally claimed a European Tour title at the European Darts Trophy in March, and leaves Leverkusen with another coveted trophy after denying Heta.
The Australian played his part in an epic final, hitting his first five attempts at doubles - but he crucially missed two darts to take the tie into a deciding 15th leg before Aspinall pounced for glory.
Legs of 13 and 11 darts gave Aspinall the early edge, before Heta checked out 84, 130 and 140 - the latter finishes both completing 12-darters - as he edged ahead.
The Australian also took out 135 as the pair traded legs, before Aspinall punished misses from Heta to regain the edge at 6-5 and 7-6.
Heta then missed his chance at double 18 to send the final into a deciding leg, and Aspinall returned to pin double six as he completed a brilliant triumph.
Aspinall - a Premier League semi-finalist - had opened his challenge against Bradley Brooks on Saturday and ended German hopes in Leverkusen in Sunday afternoon's third round by seeing off Ricardo Pietreczko.
He then edged out Chris Dobey 6-5 in a tight quarter-final and averaged 103 in a gutsy semi-final win over Wessel Nijman which also went to a deciding leg.
"To bounce back after the defeat on Thursday night, to come here and win this tournament, shows where my game's at at the moment," said Aspinall.
"I don't make games easy but in the semi-final and final I played fantastic.
"Credit to Damon - I thought that final was absolutely fantastic, it was a great game of darts, nip and tuck.
"He beat me in Rosmalen in a ProTour final, so it's one-one in finals! The support I've had this weekend has been phenomenal.
"I've been through rubbish but I'm getting back there. If you want something you have to fight, to believe you can do it. When things are not going your way, you have to keep fighting, believing that you can get back to your best.
"That's what I do, week-in and week-out, and the last few weeks have been pretty good."
Heta's run saw him reach a first European Tour final in three years, since he claimed the Gibraltar Darts Trophy - although he had won a Players Championship in April by defeating Aspinall by the same 8-6 scoreline.
The Australian had booked his spot in the final with a sensational 7-3 semi-final win over Dutch Darts Championship winner Jonny Clayton, finishing seven doubles from ten attempts as both players averaged over 102.
Heta also overcame Sweden's Andreas Harrysson and Canada's Matt Campbell on Sunday, but admitted: "I'm absolutely gutted.
"The final was a game of chances at times. Fair play to Nathan, he's done really well this year. This just makes me hungry for the next one.
"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.
"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."
Clayton had been bidding to win back-to-back European Tour titles, and he followed up a third round whitewash of World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker with a quarter-final defeat of Cameron Menzies before seeing his hopes ended by Heta.
Dutch prospect Wessel Nijman was a semi-finalist for a second successive European Tour event, as he defeated Peter Wright and Stephen Bunting before being edged out by Aspinall.
Campbell won through to his first European Tour quarter-final - having stepped up from the Reserve List to compete in Leverkusen - but paid for missing his chance to defeat Heta in a tight last eight clash.
Premier League duo Bunting and Dobey were joined in the last eight by Menzies - who was appearing in his second European Tour quarter-final of 2025.
The Winamax European Tour now enjoys a month's break before returning from July 11-13 with the Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel.
Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Open
Sunday June 1
Afternoon Session
Third Round
Matt Campbell 6-3 James Wade
Damon Heta 6-4 Andreas Harrysson
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
Jonny Clayton 6-0 Mike De Decker
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Ricardo Pietreczko
Chris Dobey 6-3 Andrew Gilding
Wessel Nijman 6-4 Peter Wright
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Damon Heta 6-5 Matt Campbell
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Cameron Menzies
Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Chris Dobey
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Semi-Finals
Damon Heta 7-3 Jonny Clayton
Nathan Aspinall 7-6 Wessel Nijman
Final
Nathan Aspinall 8-6 Damon Heta