Defending champion and top favorite Jonny Clayton was surprisingly eliminated in the semi-finals on the final evening of the Darts Premier League.
The 47-year-old Welshman lost 4:10 in Berlin against the Englishman Joe Cullen, who went straight into the final in his debut season and met the Dutchman Michael van Gerwen there. He clearly defeated James Wade from England 10:4.
Clayton not only won the past Premier League season, but also this year’s main round. Cullen hit the top 180 eleven times, his rival Clayton only twice.
For the first time in the history of the prestigious league format competition, the grand final will take place on mainland Europe instead of the UK.
In the final, which will be played on Monday evening, Cullen meets either his compatriot James Wade or Dutchman Michael van Gerwen. The winner of the tournament gets the equivalent of around 320,000 euros.