Germany’s Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko pulled off a dramatic upset at the World Cup of Darts on Saturday, defeating England’s powerhouse duo of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries 8-4 in front of a jubilant home crowd at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt.
Backed by deafening support, Schindler and Pietreczko delivered a near-flawless display to eliminate the top-seeded English pair, who had been tipped as favourites to lift the trophy in their much-anticipated debut as a team.
Criticism soon followed England’s shock exit. Former world champion Gerwyn Price suggested a lack of team unity cost Littler and Humphries their shot at the title. “The only two players that didn’t turn up together, didn’t sit together, didn’t play as a team,” Price observed, without naming them directly. “They were rubbish,” he added bluntly.
Meanwhile, Schindler credited Germany’s belief and composure. “We believed in ourselves,” he said post-match. “Ricardo’s double 16s just went in, and we are very happy to go through.”
Germany’s victory marks a potential turning point in their World Cup campaign as they eye their first title, while Northern Ireland went on to seal their own glory with a nail-biting 10-9 win over Wales in Sunday’s final.
All eyes now turn to the Betfred World Matchplay from July 19-27 at the Winter Gardens, where Humphries, Littler, and Michael van Gerwen are among the marquee names in the hunt for the £800,000 prize pool and the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy.
Swifteradio.com
