The European Championship Darts has delivered thrilling action, with Germany’s Martin Schindler making history by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, continuing a strong national streak. Teenage sensation Luke Littler put on a spectacular display, achieving the second-highest average in tournament history. They join Krzysztof Ratajski and Jonny Clayton, who fought hard to secure their spots, setting the stage for an electrifying final day of competition.
Schindler’s Historic Breakthrough
For the third consecutive year, and the fourth time overall, a German player has reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship. This year, the honour goes to Martin Schindler, who secured a decisive 10-4 victory over Jermaine Wattimena. Schindler is now set for a compelling clash on Sunday afternoon against Jonny Clayton, who overcame Josh Rock in a hard-fought match. Meanwhile, Luke Littler delivered a truly brilliant performance, boasting an incredible 114-average in his dominant 10-5 win against Nathan Aspinall. Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski completes the line-up for the quarter-finals.
After successfully navigating past Wessel Nijman in an earlier round, Martin Schindler continued his impressive run by eliminating another Dutch opponent, Jermaine Wattimena, with a 10-4 scoreline. This victory marks Schindler’s first-ever appearance in the European Championship quarter-finals. His path to victory was marked by strategic play and clutch finishes:
- He stole the opening leg in 20 darts, then held his own throw on D12.
- After Wattimena secured his first leg, Schindler checked out 70 to lead 3-1.
- A crucial moment saw him survive a break dart in the eighth leg.
- Schindler then followed up with an excellent 121 finish to make it 6-3, and a 91 checkout for a 7-3 advantage.
Wattimena attempted a comeback with a 105 checkout but squandered two darts to close the gap further to 5-7. Germany’s number one player, Schindler, then hit his second 12-darter of the match, needing just one more leg, which he promptly secured with an 80 finish. Schindler now stands as the third German player to reach the final day of this tournament, following Ricardo Pietreczko in the previous two years and Max Hopp in 2018.
Ratajski Edges Out Doets in Tense Battle
Kevin Doets, fresh from his victory against compatriot Michael van Gerwen, was unable to maintain his momentum, falling 10-8 to Krzysztof Ratajski. The match was a tale of two halves:
- Doets started incredibly strong, winning the first four legs in 14, 17, 18, and 15 darts respectively.
- However, Ratajski began his comeback, taking the last leg before the first break in 14 darts.
- The “Polish Eagle” then surged ahead, winning four consecutive legs in 15, 14, 19, and 18 darts (including a 95 finish), taking a 5-4 lead. Doets’ struggles on the outer ring contributed to this shift.
Doets briefly found his rhythm again with 12 and 14-dart legs, but both players continued to trade breaks. Ratajski ultimately demonstrated his composure, hitting a strong 12-darter to level at 8-8, then securing the 9-8 lead. Serving for the match, the man from Warsaw left no room for error, hitting his fourth match dart on D3 to seal his place in the quarter-finals.
Littler’s Masterclass: Second Highest Average in History
Luke Littler has stormed into the quarter-finals with a truly brilliant display, recording the second-highest average in the tournament’s history! His astonishing average of 114.47 left opponent Nathan Aspinall trailing 10-5, though Aspinall still put up a respectable fight. Littler’s initial performance was simply unplayable:
- He rattled off legs in 12, 11, 12, and 11 darts, pushing his average over 130 points.
- Aspinall managed to snatch one leg in the first session after Littler missed a 128 finish, then followed up with a 112 finish.
- Littler responded with a stunning 127 bullseye finish.
Despite Littler’s dominance, Aspinall fought back bravely, narrowing the score to 4-5 with a 121 checkout. However, “The Nuke” regained control, checking out on D20 with his last dart in the fifth round to lead 6-4. Littler then pulled away decisively with legs in 13 and 12 darts. A 90 finish was Aspinall’s final moment of brilliance. Littler sealed his spot on the final day in Dortmund with 71 and 80 finishes in 15 and 14 darts respectively. He narrowly missed breaking the record for the highest tournament average by just under four points; that record, an incredible 118.14, was set by the legendary Phil Taylor in 2009.
Clayton Sets Up Schindler Showdown
The stage is now set for another exciting encounter: Jonny Clayton versus Martin Schindler. After three major tournament clashes in 2025, these two will meet again in tomorrow’s quarter-final. Clayton wrapped up Saturday’s action with a hard-fought 10-8 victory over Josh Rock.
The match began with Clayton hitting three 15-darters, but Rock responded strongly, taking his first leg with the same number of darts and then levelling at 3-3 with 17 and 16-dart legs. Clayton then won three consecutive legs in 14, 14, and 13 darts. However, Rock refused to be shaken off, hitting a 12-darter to make it 5-7 and a 117 finish to close to 6-7. Two more 14-darters from Clayton seemingly put him on the brink of victory, but “The Ferret” showed uncharacteristic weaknesses on his match darts, missing five opportunities. This allowed Rock to claw back to 8-9. Ultimately, Clayton unleashed his trademark 121 finish to clinch the match and his spot in the quarter-finals.
European Championship 2026: Final Day Schedule
The European Championship 2026 culminates on Sunday, October 25th, with a thrilling final day of darts action.
Sunday, October 25th, 2026: Afternoon Session (Quarter-Finals)
Starting at 13:00 CET, the following quarter-final matches will take place:
- Ross Smith vs. Luke Woodhouse
- Gerwyn Price vs. Stephen Bunting
- Martin Schindler vs. Jonny Clayton
- Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Luke Littler
Sunday, October 25th, 2026: Evening Session (Semi-Finals & Final)
From 19:00 CET, the excitement continues with:
- Semi-Final 1: Winner of Smith/Woodhouse vs. Winner of Price/Bunting
- Semi-Final 2: Winner of Schindler/Clayton vs. Winner of Ratajski/Littler
- The Grand Final: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2
Tournament Format:
- First Round: Best of 11 Legs
- Last 16: Best of 19 Legs
- Quarter-Finals: Best of 19 Legs
- Semi-Finals: Best of 21 Legs
- Final: Best of 21 Legs
Prize Money Breakdown:
A substantial total prize fund of £750,000 is distributed as follows:
- Winner: £150,000
- Runner-Up: £80,000
- Semi-Finalists: £50,000 each
- Quarter-Finalists: £35,000 each
- Last 16: £20,000 each
- First Round: £7,500 each
Fans can follow all the action and results through official darts news outlets and social media channels.
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
