Gabriel Clemens is currently still the German number one in darts. The “German Giant” could soon be overtaken in the Order of Merit.
At the upcoming European Championships there could be a changing of the guard at the top of German darts.
Martin Schindler is currently on the rise and could overtake Clemens in the world rankings. To do this, “The Wall” would have to get two rounds further at the European Championships than the World Cup semi-finalists.
Schindler currently sits 23rd on the Order of Merit with prize money of £289,000. Clemens ranks 21st at 302,250 pounds.
Clemens and Schindler as outsiders at the European Darts Championship
But at the European Championships, the two Germans go into their first round matches as underdogs. Clemens will face former world champion Peter Wright from Scotland in round one later on Thursday evening (around 9:15 p.m.). Schindler will meet Englishman Stephen Bunting later (around 10:15 p.m.).
So far, both Schindler and Clemens have not won a game in their careers at the European Championships. The duo each suffered three first-round defeats.
Debutant Ricardo Pietreczko could therefore move into the spotlight in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle. The 29-year-old goes into the major tournament with high expectations. “I always go into the tournament with the ulterior motive of wanting to win it,” he announced to the “German Press Agency”. For him it’s the start against European champion Ross Smith from England.
Pietreczko recently caused a sensation on the European Tour. In Hildesheim, the German darts hope triumphed completely unexpectedly and made history. The man from Nuremberg became the second German after Max Hopp to win a PDC European Tour event.
In the Order of Merit, Pietreczko is still in 50th place, far behind Clemens and Schindler.