Early end of the European Championship for the two best German darts professionals: As expected, the European Championship in Dortmund is over after round one for Martin Schindler and Gabriel Clemens.
Despite a good performance, the 26-year-old Schindler lost 6-1 to the strong sixth in the world rankings, Jose de Sousa from Portugal. Later in the evening Clemens lost 4:6 against the Welsh top player Jonny Clayton.
Two of the top favorites are surprisingly already out. The ambitious ex-world champion Gerwyn Price (Wales) lost 4:6 against the Austrian Rowby John Rodriguez. Directly afterwards, the four-time title holder Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands) was eliminated by the Englishman Chris Dobey (5:6).
Schindler, who also failed to make it through the first round in 2017 and 2018, beckons to jump into the top 35 in the world for the first time despite the bankruptcy. The world number 22. Clemens conceded the third defeat at the beginning of his third participation in the European Championship. Defending champion Rob Cross had already failed on Thursday due to his English compatriot James Wade.
The major tournament, in which non-European players also take part, is considered a first assessment of where the World Cup will begin in just under two months at London’s Alexandra Palace. The prize money for the 14th edition is a total of £500,000 (around EUR 575,000), with the winner receiving £120,000 (around EUR 138,000).