The first day of the PDC Europe Super League group stage has concluded, showcasing a mix of dominant performances and nail-biting finishes. Marcel Hausotter and Jaimy van de Weerd stand out as the only undefeated players, each winning all five of their matches. Jan Schmidt and Paul Krohne also lead their respective groups, demonstrating strong form. However, some pre-tournament favorites like Liam Maendl-Lawrance and Mika Donnevert find themselves under early pressure, needing a stronger second day to secure their spots in the last sixteen.
Unbeaten Dominance: Super League Darts Kicks Off with Shockers and Standouts
The opening round of the Super League group stage has delivered a thrilling blend of dominant performances and unexpected twists. As the dust settled on day one, two players emerged with perfect records, while others are already fighting to stay in contention. Here’s a closer look at the action across the groups:
Group A: Schmidt Leads Amidst Close Calls
- Jan Schmidt finished the day at the top, despite a late defeat.
- René Eidams, the “King of Close Games,” secured four wins.
- Mika Donnevert and Kimi Seemann are under early pressure.
Group A started with immediate fireworks. In the very first match, René Damm delivered a surprise victory against Mika Donnevert. Following that, Jan Schmidt checked out a stunning 164 to win his match against Kimi Seemann, who had several chances to force a deciding leg. This set the tone for a strong day for Schmidt, a Youth World Championship finalist, who only suffered his first loss in his final game against Florian Preis (3-6). His consistent performance puts “Lightning” at the top of the table, also securing a strong leg difference. Close behind is René Eidams, who also boasts four victories, with his only defeat coming against the group leader. The 2016 World Championship participant proved to be the “King of Close Games,” winning twice in deciding legs and surviving crucial match darts from René Damm.
The situation behind the leaders remains tense. Mika Donnevert initially looked strong, including a crucial 111 checkout in a deciding leg against Florian Preis, but otherwise underperformed, placing him in 5th. Preis, after a slow start, rallied to secure three consecutive wins. Surprisingly, René Damm currently holds 4th place. Kimi Seemann was unlucky throughout the day, missing match darts for a 5-3 lead against Eidams and then being checked out on 157 by Donnevert, leaving the youngster without any points on the board.
Group B: Van de Weerd’s Unstoppable Run
- Jaimy van de Weerd emerged as the undisputed leader, winning all five of his matches.
- Kevin Jußen had a solid debut with three wins.
- Christian Gödl faced a day of narrow, heartbreaking defeats.
Group B also kicked off with a high finish: Christian Gödl checked out 155, but this impressive moment unfortunately turned into a 4-6 defeat against Jaimy van de Weerd. Van de Weerd, a dominant force in this year’s Next Gen series, quickly put the upset behind him and underlined his favorite status with subsequent victories over Patrick Tringler (6-4), Deniz Baudis (6-1), Dragutin Horvat (6-3), and Kevin Jußen (6-4). For Gödl, it was a day of misfortune, losing several incredibly close matches despite strong fightbacks and missed match darts on his part. He notably fought back from 1-5 down against Horvat, only to lose after missing a match dart on the bullseye. Only against Patrick Tringler (6-5) did luck favor him. Both Austrian players, Gödl and Tringler, concluded the day with only one win each.
Despite not closing out his match against Van de Weerd, Kevin Jußen had a very respectable debut with three wins. He notably turned a 0-3 deficit into a 6-3 victory against Tringler and came back from 1-4 down against Dragutin Horvat. Horvat secured his third point and some breathing room with a 6-5 win over Tringler. Fourth place is held by Deniz Baudis, who missed match darts in a mixed opening game against Horvat but later celebrated two crucial 6-5 victories against Gödl and Kevin Jußen.
Group C: Krohne and Behrens Battle for Top Spot
- Paul Krohne narrowly missed a perfect day, leading the group.
- Finn Behrens is hot on Krohne’s heels with an impressive run.
- Kilian Hohnstedt is the only player in this group without points.
In Group C, Paul Krohne almost achieved a perfect day, only suffering a 4-6 defeat to Finn Behrens in his final match. This loss allowed the 20-year-old Behrens to close the gap on Krohne, making the race for the top spot even more exciting. Behrens started strong, checking out 103 in a deciding leg against Tim Scholz, and suffered his only loss in the fourth round against René Kern (5-6). Krohne, who started with a 99 average against the strong Kern, consistently fought back from deficits, winning six consecutive legs for a 6-3 victory against Kilian Hohnstedt and overcoming an early 141 checkout by Lenny Schlüter with two of his own high finishes.
Play-off winner René Kern made a strong statement with three wins, including a hard-fought victory against Lenny Schlüter after both players missed crucial match darts. He did, however, lose to Tim Scholz after holding a 4-2 lead. Lenny Schlüter secured a 6-3 win against Kilian Hohnstedt with two 12-darters, currently sitting on two points. Tim Scholz also has two points, keeping all his options open for day two despite a slight statistical gap to the leaders. Kilian Hohnstedt needs a significant turnaround if he wants to stay in contention, as he was one of only two players on Tuesday who failed to score any points across all groups.
Group D: Hausotter’s Flawless Performance
- Marcel Hausotter achieved a perfect day with five wins.
- Carsten Hoffmann is well-positioned with four victories.
- Liam Maendl-Lawrance faced a disappointing start to the tournament.
Marcel Hausotter carried the momentum from his Super League qualification into the main event, achieving a perfect day with five wins. Few of his matches were particularly close; against second-placed Carsten Hoffmann, “Hausi” checked out a clinical 106 to prevent a deciding leg. Towards the end, he seemed to ease off slightly, but still secured a 6-4 victory against the day’s disappointing performer, Liam Maendl-Lawrance. “LML” only won one match and only once averaged above 80 points. The direct clash between the two WDF World Championship participants saw Maendl-Lawrance check out 157 and 114, only for Hoffmann to have the final say with a 102 checkout in the deciding leg.
For Carsten Hoffmann, four wins put him in an excellent position, while debutant Lukas Nußbaum can be pleased with 3rd place. After losing a tight opening match to fourth-placed Patrick Reisenegger, Nußbaum capitalized on Liam Maendl-Lawrance’s poor doubles for a dominant 6-1 win and finished the day with a 12-darter against Luca Wolff (6-2). Reisenegger, with two wins against the other newcomers, is still very much in contention, while Wolff managed to secure at least one point with an opening victory against Maendl-Lawrance.
Looking Ahead: Day Two Promises More Drama
The preliminary round of the PDC Europe Super League 2026 continues tomorrow. With some players establishing clear leads and others fighting to stay in the competition, day two promises even more thrilling darts action and crucial matches that will shape the group standings and determine who advances to the knockout stages.
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
