PDC European Tour: East Europe Qualifier entries open for ET5-9

European Tour

Player entries for the next five East Europe Qualifiers on the 2023 PDC European Tour are now open, as Qualifiers for ET5-9 take place in Budapest in April.

2023 Interwetten Baltic Sea Darts Open draw & schedule

European Tour

Peter Wright will take on James Wade or Raymond van Barneveld in the second round of the Interwetten Baltic Sea Darts Open, with the draw and schedule for the opening PDC European Tour event of 2023 now confirmed.

2023 European Tour campaign to begin this weekend

European Tour

The 2023 PDC European Tour season gets underway this weekend with the Interwetten Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel, Germany.

ET3-4 Tour Card Holder Qualifiers confirmed

European Tour

Ross Smith, Daryl Gurney and Simon Whitlock were amongst the players to complete a European Tour qualification double on Monday, as Tour Card Holder Qualifiers for ET3-4 took place in Barnsley.

Cazoo UK Open & European Tour prize fund increases announced

News

Prize money increases have been confirmed for the 2023 Cazoo UK Open and European Tour.

ET1-2 Tour Card Holder Qualifiers confirmed

European Tour

James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld, Stephen Bunting and Daryl Gurney were among the players to complete a European Tour qualification double in Barnsley on Monday.

Henderson, Klaasen & Kurz confirm European Tour returns

European Tour

John Henderson, Jelle Klaasen and Nico Kurz were amongst the players to secure their spots in the opening European Tour events of 2023 last weekend.

PDC European Tour - East Europe Qualifier entries open

European Tour

Player entries for the first four East Europe Qualifiers on the 2023 PDC European Tour are now open, ahead of next month’s opening event in Kiel, Germany.

European Tour Host Nation & Associate Member Qualifiers dates confirmed

European Tour

The dates for Host Nation Qualifiers and Associate Member Qualifiers for the 2023 PDC European Tour have been confirmed.

Viaplay to show PDC European Tour in UK & Europe from 2023

European Tour

Viaplay Group and the PDC have agreed a five-year deal to broadcast the European Tour in the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and all Nordic & Baltic countries.

2023 Interwetten German Darts Open
Friday September 8
First Round

Afternoon Session
Kevin Doets 6-2 Callum Goffin
Madars Razma 6-1 Stephen Burton
Wesley Plaisier 6-4 George Killington
Roy van de Griendt 6-3 Danny Tessmann
Jules van Dongen 6-3 Connor Scutt
Dylan Slevin 6-4 Jeffrey De Graaf
Mike De Decker 6-1 Patrik Kovacs 
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Darius Labanauskas

Evening Session
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Ricky Evans 6-0 Alan Soutar
Brian Raman 6-3 Nico Kurz
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Steve Lennon
Florian Hempel 6-3 James Wade
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Daniel Klose
Luke Woodhouse 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
Gian van Veen 6-1 Simon Whitlock

Saturday September 9
Second Round
Afternoon Session

Andrew Gilding 6-2 Madars Razma
Jose de Sousa 6-4 Mike De Decker
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Ricky Evans
Josh Rock 6-2 Jules van Dongen
Ryan Searle 6-3 Kevin Doets
Danny Noppert 6-5 Dylan Slevin
Brian Raman 6-5 Rob Cross
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Joe Cullen

Evening Session
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Roy van de Griendt
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Peter Wright
Florian Hempel 6-2 Damon Heta
Luke Humphries 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Luke Woodhouse
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Gian van Veen
Martin Schindler 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Wesley Plaisier 6-2 Ross Smith

Sunday September 10
Afternoon Session

Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Dave Chisnall
Danny Noppert 6-4 Cameron Menzies
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Jose de Sousa
Josh Rock 6-5 Ryan Searle
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Florian Hempel
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Martin Schindler
Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Luke Humphries
Brian Raman 6-4 Nathan Aspinall

Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Danny Noppert
Josh Rock 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Wesley Plaisier 6-3 Brian Raman

Semi-Finals
Krzysztof Ratajski 7-4 Josh Rock
Stephen Bunting 7-6 Wesley Plaisier

Final
Krzysztof Ratajski 8-3 Stephen Bunting

Krzysztof Ratajski celebrated his second European Tour title with a comprehensive 8-3 victory against Stephen Bunting at the Interwetten German Darts Open on Sunday.

Ratajski - a winner of the Gibraltar Darts Trophy in 2019 - ended his four-year wait for a big stage crown with a series of superb performances at the Sparkassen-Arena.

Poland's number one has enjoyed a welcome return to form in 2023, and after celebrating his seventh Players Championship win back in April, he scooped the £30,000 top prize in Jena to move into double digits for PDC titles.

Ratajski’s challenge began with an impressive 6-3 success against Ricky Evans on Saturday, and he continued his charge with an emphatic victory against top seed Dave Chisnall in the last 16.

The 46-year-old then ran out a convincing 6-3 winner against Danny Noppert in the last eight, before producing an impressive display to dispatch Josh Rock in the semi-finals.

There was nothing to separate the pair after six legs, but Ratajski found top gear in the closing stages, following up a 126 checkout on the bull with legs of 13, 14 and 14 darts to complete a 7-4 victory.

Ahead of the final, Ratajski landed a nine-dart finish with his warm-up darts, and he made a dream start to Sunday’s showpiece, racing into a 4-0 lead with the aid of a 128 checkout in leg two.

Bunting paid the price for squandering nine darts at double in the opening exchanges, although a clinical 90 kill in leg five saw him open his account as he fought to reduce the arrears.

However, after Bunting missed double 11 for a 102 outshot in leg seven, Ratajski restored his three-leg buffer with a crucial hold, before landing a timely 12-darter to extend his cushion.

The former World Matchplay semi-finalist then converted a nerveless 105 checkout to move to the cusp of victory in leg ten, and he pinned double eight moments later to cap off a terrific victory.

“I have waited for this moment for four years,” reflected Ratajski, who is now closing in on a return to the world’s top 20.

“I am delighted. I didn't expect it, because in the last two or three months I haven't played well, but this weekend I played better.

“Stephen missed a few very important doubles early on. I took those legs and that gave me the confidence to play well.

“This win puts me into the top 16 on the ProTour Order of Merit. That was my target this year, so now I must find another target!”


Bunting was denied his first big-stage title in the PDC, but he enjoyed a tournament to remember in Jena, having survived eight match darts in his second round win over Joe Cullen on Saturday.

The 38-year-old brushed aside Martin Schindler to end home hopes in the last 16, before coming through two more deciding-leg tussles against Andrew Gilding and Wesley Plaisier later in the day.

“Full credit to Krzysztof. He was fantastic,” conceded Bunting, who was using his new darts for the first time in competition this weekend.

“I threw everything at him, I gave it my all, but congratulations to Krzysztof, he was the deserved winner.

“To make a European Tour final on my first outing with my new darts, I'm chuffed to bits.

“The crowd got me through a few games this weekend. The support has been absolutely phenomenal, and I can't wait to come back to Germany and play in front of this wonderful crowd again.”


Elsewhere, Plaisier equalled the best performance by an Associate Member Qualifier on the European Tour – registering a series of major scalps to progress to a first PDC ranking semi-final.

The Dutchman accounted for European Champion Ross Smith and third seed Luke Humphries on his way to the last eight, where he eased past Brian Raman to break new ground at the Sparkassen-Arena.

Plaisier was joined in the semi-finals by Rock, who secured deciding-leg wins over Ryan Searle and Dirk van Duijvenbode on Sunday, rallying from 5-2 down to deny the Dutchman in a thriller.

Van Duijvenbode was left to rue wiring two match darts against the Northern Irishman, as he crashed out in the quarter-finals alongside his compatriot and World Cup partner Noppert.

UK Open champion Gilding also exited in the last eight alongside Belgium’s Raman, who stunned World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall to reach his first PDC ranking quarter-final.

Drawboard