German darts professional storms into exciting semi-finals
Man of the Day: Riccardo “Pikachu” Pietresco defeated the German no
Quelle: Screenshot
Nuremberg’s Riccardo Pietresco is into the semi-finals of the Players Championship 28. With the win, he achieved a remarkably positive German record. Even the recently weakened Max Hope managed to place an exclamation mark.
RIcardo Pietresco created a minor sensation on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tour. The 28-year-old, who has been on the circuit since this season, celebrated the best win of his career by reaching the semi-finals of The Players Championship 28 in Barnsley, England.
“Pikachu”, already in strong form in the previous days tournaments, crowned a very successful day from a German perspective.
All five German players on the professional tour reached the third round, with Pietresco, Martin Schindler, Gabriel Clemens, Florian Hempel and Max Hoppe. Only defeat against the compatriots saw the trail end at two after two opening wins.
Schindler lost 4:6 in a battle between the two best German dart players, Clemens. Hempel’s surprise 6-1 loss to Hope is in the running for a World Cup ticket and qualification for the Players Championship Finals at the end of November. Along with Hoppe, Clemens and Pietresco, all three Germans were in the round of 16.
Top German duel at Barnsley: Gabriel Clemens (left) pounces on Martin Schindler
Source: pa/Eibner-Pressefoto/Ralph Lehmberg
Humphreys defeated Hope and Petresco
Pietresco confidently won his victory over Englishman Ryan Meikle (6:4), Ireland’s John O’Shea (6:2) and Dutchman Luke Peters (6:2). Clemens defeated the German number one 6:4 in the round of 16 and defeated Ross Smith 6:1 in the quarterfinals.
The fairytale ended for the former world number 116, however, in the semifinals. Early on he missed a few chances in the doubles against Luke Humphreys and he had no chance against the top seeded Englishman in the match. No more than 2:7 is possible at a weak average of 85.42.
In the second round of the Players Championship 25 on Tuesday, he averaged 98.31 against Humphries and unfortunately went 5:6.
It was an unusually successful weekend for Pietreksko, with multiple Super League participants playing in the top 100 for the first time, and with two tournaments to go, he is currently 60th, and has a great chance of making the first Players Championship final. Time. 64 professionals qualify for the main tournament at the end of November.
Hempel is seven places behind in the qualifying rankings. Just 1500 pounds further back in 64th place, Max Hope has a slim chance on form on Sunday with a difference of 3750 pounds.
After months of struggle, Hope stepped up to the third round in a performance that many thought was impossible after victories over Adam Hunt (6:1) and Brendan Dolan (6:2). In a 6:1 win over Hempel, the long-time German number one averaged over 100 and went on to beat Englishman Ted Evetts 6:3 in the round of 16.
Must fight for his tour card: Max Hope
Quelle: Image alliance/dpa/PA Wire/Kieran Cleaves
He made an early break against Luke Humphreys in the last eight, leading 3-1 but then dropped five legs in a row. Humphreys thus ended the surprises of the two German outsiders, but the youngster had to concede defeat in the final to Josh Rock, who thanks to a final average of 108.07 points, maintained an advantage of 8:5 and celebrated his first title. Professionals.
The tour continues on Thursday with the European Darts Championships (live on DAZN and Sport1). Two Germans, Clemens and Schindler, are taking part in the four-day European Championships in Dortmund.
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