The German darts professional Martin Schindler missed the surprise at the World Cup in London’s “Ally Pally” and can “only” keep his fingers crossed for his buddy Gabriel Clemens. After a big fight and a 3:1 lead, Schindler lost 3:4 against Vice World Champion Michael Smith and missed the leap into the round of 16. There Clemens is the last German to meet “fireman” Alan Soutar on Friday (1:40 p.m.).
“It’s mixed feelings. Somehow I’m happy to be up there and play exactly what I want – and also disappointed that I didn’t cross the finish line,” said Schindler at Sport1.
With six perfect darts he stormed to the break in the fifth leg and secured a furious set one. But the “Bully Boy” countered, threw himself into a flow with a 170 finish and equalized. The 26-year-old Schindler stayed on, increased his shots of 180, checked a 128 and even secured the fourth set in addition to the third. Smith stumbled but did not fall. The fourth in the world rankings dozed back, won the next two sentences and forced the deciding sentence.
There, last year’s finalist made the comeback perfect with his first match dart – and now meets his compatriot Joe Cullen, who had previously won 4-0 against the Australian Damon Heta. Meanwhile, the three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen advanced to the next round after a high-class exchange of blows.
The 33-year-old Dutchman was world number 30. Mensur Suljovic (Austria) defeated 4:2 in what is probably the best match of this World Cup so far, but had to call up his “A-Game” to do so. With brutal scoring – like the 121.33 average in the second set or six perfect darts in the fourth set – van Gerwen earned the first match darts, but didn’t use them at first.
Suljovic extended the game thanks to a 161 finish before “Mighty Mike” finally ended the match in the sixth set with double eight. Two-time world champion Gary Anderson was surprisingly eliminated. The “Flying Scotsman” clearly lost 4-1 to Englishman Chris Dobey, who was 22nd.
The Portuguese Jose de Sousa celebrated a mega comeback. After a 0:3 deficit and match darts against himself, the world number 17 hit. the Englishman Ryan Searle (16th) with 4: 3. “The Special One” de Sousa now meets the world number one Gerwyn Price (Wales).