Darts World Cup in London
Audience problem: Pietreczko under observation in the Ally Pally
Ricardo Pietreczko will make his World Cup debut on Tuesday evening. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
The darts professional nicknamed Pikachu is playing at the World Cup for the first time. The man from Nuremberg himself speaks of the title as a goal, but the first task is tricky, especially outside of the sport.
The spicy darts test in Alexandra Palace meets Ricardo Pietreczko with maximum composure.
“I never prepare myself mentally anyway. I am firmly convinced that I am so mentally strong that I don’t need anything like that,” said high-flyer Pietreczko, known as Pikachu, before his World Cup debut in London. Anyone who has seen how much trouble the audience and the external circumstances have had on the 29-year-old with the Pokemon nickname on the big stage recently will be amazed at this statement.
The first game was tough for Pietreczko, and not just in terms of sport. He will face the Japanese Mikuru Suzuki on Tuesday evening (10 p.m./Sport1 and DAZN). From experience, in a direct duel between man and woman, the man is often whistled or booed. The fact that in this constellation it hits Pikachu of all people is explosive.
Van Barneveld gives advice
Pietreczko was recently booed at the Grand Slam of Darts in a duel with Englishwoman Beau Greaves. The German was provoked by this and interacted with the audience in a noticeably irritated manner. This time Pietreczko has a different plan: ignore. In an interview with the German Press Agency, he spoke of “a threat of a boycott to interact with the audience” if viewers booed him again. “If people don’t want to see me, I don’t understand why I should accept something so disrespectful. It’s absurd because it’s just disrespectful.”
The five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld is critical of this behavior and issued a direct warning to the German. “A tip to Pietreczko: He’s a fine guy, but he still has a lot to learn. Otherwise it could happen that he’s suddenly being booed on a regular basis. That’s what happened to Mervyn King in the past and also to Gerwyn Price. If you have a bad view of the audience treated, they treat you the same way,” said the Dutchman in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” before the start of the World Cup.
Three training courses, now a darts professional
The audience problem overshadows the fact that Pietreczko is traveling to his first World Cup with great references. In October he became only the second German player ever to win a European Tour tournament. The international competition around Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright also appreciates the newcomer because they themselves have already been defeated by Pietreczko and his rip-offs.
Pietreczko has a special career behind him. He stopped training as a waiter and postman because his working hours clashed with his sporting schedule. He then completed an apprenticeship as a painter and varnisher, but he probably won’t need that in the coming years either. “I see myself playing darts until I can’t stand anymore,” said Pietreczko. This year alone he has earned the equivalent of 135,000 euros in prize money, and the trend is rising.
The nickname Pikachu resulted from a misunderstanding in a noisy hall where Pietreczko said his last name and the listener understood Pikachu. Since then, the professional has been cultivating the image with this nickname. There is also recognition in the German scene for the slightly different newcomer. “He’s a bit crazy, if you can put it like that. He’s a nice and charming guy,” said Martin Schindler about Pietreczko. He clearly formulated his goal for the World Cup: the title.