Devon Petersen wins the 2020 German Darts Championship in Hildesheim. In the final the “African Warrior” beat Jonny Clayton by 8:3 and won the first PDC title of his career. “I’m not going to cry, but this is an incredibly emotional moment for me,” said Petersen. “I’ve worked for 19 years to stand here at some point. I will never forget this day and the fantastic audience.
In the final, Petersen played an average of 103 points. After his triumph he was full of praise for his opponent. “Jonny would have deserved the title just as much and is one of the most fantastic people on our tour. We have proven that the world’s top players now consist of more than just three or four”. Meanwhile, Jonny Clayton was gracious in defeat. “Devon deserved it and played much better in the final. Of course I’m annoyed by the defeat, but there are few players who deserve it more than Devon.
On his way to the final the South African Petersen defeated Jeffrey de Zwaan (6:3), Gerwyn Price (6:5), Rob Cross (6:5), Krzysztof Ratajski (6:3) and Danny Noppert (7:4). Finally, the champion made it clear how important the return of the fans is for the sport. “It was and is simply not the same without spectators. All these fans here have proven that a peaceful and safe event is possible and I hope that we have found a way so that we don’t have to go without your support in these difficult times”.
The well-attended final day was full of surprises. Both the reigning World Champion Peter Wright (3:6 against Clayton) and the world number one Michael van Gerwen (1:6 against Mervyn King) had to admit defeat in the round of the last sixteen. The last German player in the event, Max Hopp, was also defeated in round 3.
A total of almost 2,000 fans visited the event on the weekend, which was held in strict compliance with the submitted security concept. Darts is thus the first indoor sport in Germany to have been approved and received such a large number of spectators during the Corona pandemic.
The next event of the European Tour will take place from October 16 – 18 at the Glaspalast Sindelfingen. Tickets and further information are available on pdc-europe.tv
The results of the day in the overview:
Round 3
Michael van Gerwen 1:6 Mervyn King
Scale Suljovic 1:6 James Wade
Peter Wright 3:6 Jonny Clayton
Dave Chisnall 6:3 Nathan Aspinall
Max Hopp 4:6 Danny Noppert
Daryl Gurney 6:4 Glen Durrant
Devon Petersen 6:5 Rob Cross
Krzysztof Ratajski 6:2 Joe Cullen
Quarterfinal
Mervyn King 6:2 James Wade
Jonny Clayton 6:5 Dave Chisnall
Danny Noppert 6:2 Daryl Gurney
Devon Petersen 6:3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Semifinal
Mervyn King 3:7 Jonny Clayton
Danny Noppert 4:7 Devon Petersen
Final
Jonny Clayton 3:8 Devon Petersen
