England’s Star Duo Upended by Host Nation
Stuttgart’s Eissporthalle saw something few dart fans expected: England was outclassed. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, tipped by just about every commentator to go all the way, ran into a German buzzsaw. Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko, standing firm against the world’s best, sent the favorites packing with an 8-4 victory that had the home crowd rocking from the halfway point.
It all started off tight. England and Germany were locked after four legs. Then everything changed. Pietreczko, making his World Cup debut, caught fire. With the scores level, Germany strung together an electric run, winning five straight legs. Those moments featured two nerve-shredding checkouts from Pietreczko—first a 106, then a 101—to slam the door on any England hopes. England had their chances, but wayward darts at the doubles proved costly. Littler and Humphries, usually so consistent, were chasing shadows as German belief turned into real momentum.
Towards the end, England managed a rally, with Humphries pulling them back into it. But Pietreczko was ice-cool at 62, and Germany booked their first major quarterfinal appearance with both players celebrating in disbelief. Schindler summed it up: “We believed in ourselves, and that was the key. The double 16s from Ricardo when it mattered just went in.”
Major Shakeup in Tournament Landscape
This result changes the whole look of the quarterfinals. Germany's reward for their upset is a date with Australia, another team with plenty of history in the World Cup of Darts. The draw also threw up some interesting matchups—Wales faces Hong Kong, the Netherlands takes on Czechia, and Northern Ireland goes head-to-head with the Republic of Ireland. Each brings its own narrative, but none are more surprising than the German run so far.
Elsewhere, Wales blew the Philippines away 8-2 with Jonny Clayton stating their intentions: “We’re here to win.” The Netherlands, not to be overshadowed, put on a whitewash clinic against Scotland, winning 8-0. Northern Ireland also provided fireworks by hammering South Africa 8-2, setting up a much-hyped Irish derby in the quarters.
Trying to call a winner now? Oddsmakers peg Wales as favorites (15/8), the Netherlands close behind (9/4), while Germany, after toppling the top seeds, sits at 6/1. Still, with upsets like this, who really knows what’s coming next?
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