Crazy game at the Darts World Cup
“Pikachu” eliminates top players and is in round three
Updated 12/20/2025 – 6:06 p.mReading time: 1 min.
The first German made it to the third round of this year’s Darts World Cup. Ricardo Pietreczko kept calm at the crucial moment in a thrilling game.
Nervous thriller in London’s Alexandra Palace: Ricardo Pietreczko was the first German player to reach the third round of the Darts World Cup. The 31-year-old beat No. 21 seed Dave Chisnall 3-2 on Saturday. The Berlin native is now playing against Andreas Harrysson. The Swede easily defeated the Japanese Motomu Sakai 3-0. “Pikachu” and Harrysson are now fighting for a place in the round of 16.
Pietreczko, who lost to Nathan Aspinall from England in the round of 16 at the last World Cup, got into the encounter very well against Chisnall and quickly grabbed the first two sets. From the third round onwards, the Englishman suddenly played better and equalized. In the fifth set, the decision only came in extra time – with the better ending for “Pikachu”.
After Pietreczko, four more darts professionals from Germany want to reach the third knockout round. World Cup returnee Max Hopp will first meet Englishman Luke Woodhouse on Sunday afternoon, before German number one Martin Schindler plays against Irishman Keane Barry in the evening. On Monday, former World Cup semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens will face Wessel Nijman from the Netherlands, then Arno Merk wants to beat two-time world champion Peter Wright on Tuesday.