The European Tour premiere in Switzerland was a roaring success, with Martin Schindler emerging as a worthy winner.
In a dramatic final, ‘The Wall’ prevailed 8–7 against Ryan Searle. On his way to the final, he defeated Anton Östlund (6 -1), Stephen Bunting (6 – 3), Raymond van Barneveld (6 – 4) and Josh Rock (7 – 2). For Schindler, it is his second European Tour title, after he already won the International Darts Open in Riesa this season. He is only the ninth player to win two European Tour titles in a calendar year.
‘I immediately had the image of myself in mind when I started here as a steward ten years ago. I have worked very hard to get here and achieve this. This is my second trophy. Nothing else matters to me right now,’ summarised Schindler after his victory.
His opponent for the title, Ryan Searle, made it to the final of a European Tour event for the first time and missed seven match darts to lift the trophy.
The host nation qualifiers from Switzerland also put in a strong performance and made the St. Jakobshalle erupt. Two players phenomenally reached the second round. Bruno Stöckli is the first Swiss player to win on the European Tour in his own country (6 – 3 against Krzysztof Ratajski). In the second round, he was then stopped by shooting star and World Championship finalist Luke Littler, despite the frenetic support of the fans. Stöckli lost by 6-3. Roger Hertig triumphed in a first round decider over Ryan Meikle. However, he then suffered a 6-1 defeat against Ryan Searle. But this didn’t worsen the atmosphere in Basel whatsoever. On Saturday, Switzerland sets a new European Tour record with over 8,200 spectators on one day. A total of 21,000 fans celebrate the biggest stars of darts. The Swiss Darts Trophy shows that Switzerland and darts go together perfectly.
After a one-week break, the PDC Europe will travel to Prague for the last European Tour event of the season. But Switzerland has something to look forward to as well, as it has already been confirmed that the PDC stars will return to Basel in 2025. The Swiss Darts Trophy will be held from September 26 – 28 and after its successful debut, the event promises not only world-class darts but also a sensational atmosphere.
