Martin Schindler moved up to a career-high of world number 22 following his landmark victory at last weekend's NEO.bet International Darts Open.
Schindler, roared on by a partisan home crowd in Riesa, defeated Gerwyn Price 8-5 in Sunday’s showpiece to become the third German player to win a senior PDC ranking title.
The diminutive star – a former steward on the PDC European Tour – follows in the footsteps of his compatriots Max Hopp and Ricardo Pietreczko, who also tasted European Tour success in 2018 and 2023 respectively.
Schindler also overcame the likes of Joe Cullen, Danny Noppert and Chris Dobey on his way to a memorable victory, which saw him climb two places to 22nd on the PDC Order of Merit.
The 27-year-old overhauled two-time World Champion Gary Anderson and his World Cup partner Gabriel Clemens, which sees him crowned Germany’s new number one for the first time in his career.
Elsewhere, Ritchie Edhouse defeated Premier League duo Michael Smith and Rob Cross to advance to his first European Tour quarter-final since 2018, which saw him rise three places to 53rd on the Order of Merit.
Richard Veenstra continued his progress with a run to the last 16 in Riesa, climbing two places to 60th after dumping out top seed Dave Chisnall in Saturday's second round.
The PDC Order of Merit comprises prize money won over a two-year period by players in PDC ranking events - click here to view the full PDC Order of Merit.
The PDC Order of Merit will next be open to change this weekend, as the NEO.bet European Darts Grand Prix takes place in Sindelfingen from April 19-21 - watch live on PDCTV.
