Schindler Clinches Third European Tour Title at Austrian Darts Open
- Darts Central
- Apr 28
- 8 min read
The Austrian Darts Open marked the fifth stop on this season's European Tour, staged at the Steiermarkhalle in Graz, Austria.
The tournament saw several high-profile withdrawals, with Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, James Wade, Dimitri Van den Bergh, and Cameron Menzies all opting out. Their absence opened the door for the rest of the field to seize the opportunity for a deep run or even an unexpected title.
Prize Money Breakdown:
The prize fund remained at £175,000, unchanged from last year.
Stage | Prize Money |
Winner | £30,000 |
Runner-Up | £12,000 |
Semi-Finalists | £8,500 |
Quarter-Finalists | £6,000 |
Third Round Losers | £4,000 |
Second Round Losers | £2,500 |
First Round Losers | £1,250 |
Seeded players entered in Round 2 and needed to win their opening match for the prize money to count toward the rankings, just as players automatically qualified from the Pro Tour had to win in Round 1 for their earnings to register.
Qualification & Format
The PDC adjusted its European Tour qualification system for 2025. The Top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit were seeded into Round 2, while the Top 16 from the 1-year Pro Tour Order of Merit entered in Round 1.
The 48-player field was completed through four qualifying routes:
Tour Card Holder Qualifier (10 spots)
Austrian Host Nation Qualifier (4 spots)
Nordic & Baltic Qualifier (1 spot)
East European Qualifier (1 spot)
Day 1 – Dirk Dominates as Five-Time World Champion Falls Early
The opening round in Graz featured 32 qualifiers battling for a place in Round 2 against the Top 16 seeds, with both sessions delivering several standout performances.
Dirk van Duijvenbode produced the display of the day, averaging 106.18 in a commanding 6-1 win over East European Qualifier György Jehirszki.
Karel Sedláček continued his strong Pro Tour form by dispatching Raymond van Barneveld 6-2, with the Dutchman underwhelming with an 83.55 average.
Ian White, a Players Championship finalist this season, continued his resurgence with a 6-5 victory over Latvian Madars Razma on his European Tour return.
Home Favourite Progresses as Other Host Nation Qualifiers Struggle
Home hero Mensur Suljović battled past European Champion Ritchie Edhouse 6-3, with the Englishman struggling to cope with the partisan Austrian crowd and averaging just 84.74.
Elsewhere, Zoran Lerchbacher was whitewashed 6-0 by Jermaine Wattimena, while Rowby-John Rodriguez posted a sub-80 average in a heavy 6-2 defeat to Matthew Dennant.
Christian Gödl put up a spirited fight but was edged out 6-3 by Thibault Tricole, who impressed with a 96.96 average.
Other Standout First Round Wins
ET2 finalist Ryan Joyce came through a tough battle to defeat Nordic & Baltic Qualifier Teemu Harju 6-4.
Rising German star Niko Springer impressed with a 6-1 win over compatriot Lukas Wenig.
Young Dutchman Wessel Nijman also delivered a strong showing, averaging 95.83 to edge out the in-form Willie O’Connor 6-4.
Day 2 – Six Non-Seeds Reach Final Day as Top Seed Falters
Day 2 in Graz delivered a thrilling second round, with two highly competitive sessions and six non-seeded players securing spots in the final day of action.
The non-seeds progressing were Jermaine Wattimena, Kevin Doets, Wessel Nijman, Matt Campbell, Dirk van Duijvenbode, and Ryan Joyce.
Jonny Clayton, the Number 1 seed for the first time in his career following the high-profile withdrawals, suffered an early exit, losing 6-3 to a clinical Jermaine Wattimena.
Kevin Doets posted an 85.51 average to see off a below-par Nathan Aspinall 6-2, while fellow Premier League star
Stephen Bunting, despite averaging 104.54, crashed out 6-4 to a superb Matt Campbell (102.42 average).
Wessel Nijman edged a high-quality contest against Mike De Decker 6-4, with both players averaging over 100, while Ryan Joyce produced a 102.03 average in a dominant 6-1 win over 11th seed Ryan Searle.
Dirk van Duijvenbode again impressed, thrashing Gian van Veen 6-1 with a stunning 108.66 average.
Dobey and Rock Impress, Cullen Claims Bizarre Leg
Josh Rock (105.11) and Chris Dobey (105.09) both posted excellent averages to book their last 16 spots with victories over Krzysztof Ratajski and Ricardo Pietreczko, respectively.
Ross Smith and Daryl Gurney also impressed, each averaging just over the ton in 6-1 wins against Chris Landman and home favourite Mensur Suljović.
Danny Noppert edged a tense 6-5 battle against Niko Springer, while Damon Heta came from behind to beat Karel Sedláček 6-5.
Martin Schindler saw off Matthew Dennant 6-3 with a solid 99.36 average.
Elsewhere, Peter Wright and Luke Woodhouse both struggled with averages in the 80s, but it was Wright who advanced 6-3, while Dave Chisnall also sealed a 6-3 win over Ian White.
In one of the strangest moments of the tournament, Joe Cullen averaged just 77.13 yet eased past Thibault Tricole 6-2, helped by a chaotic sixth leg that Cullen won on Double 1 after a staggering number of missed doubles between the pair, with the leg eventually concluded in 40 darts.
Day 3 – Finals Day in Graz
Finals Day, often referred to as Cup Collection Day on the European Tour, kicked off in Graz with opportunity knocking for several names in an open Last 16 lineup. The players were battling for the Austrian Darts Open title at the Steiermarkhalle.
Last 16 – Dirk Continues to Shine as Final PL Star Keeps Bid Alive
Daryl Gurney and Chris Dobey both cruised into the quarter-finals with commanding 6-1 wins over Dutch duo Jermaine Wattimena and Wessel Nijman, respectively, with Dobey continuing his pursuit of a maiden European Tour title.
Josh Rock produced a 100.81 average to edge a tight 6-5 battle against Danny Noppert, while Martin Schindler mounted an impressive comeback from 5-2 down to deny Kevin Doets 6-5.
Ryan Joyce continued his strong weekend, easing past Dave Chisnall 6-3, while Ross Smith survived a match dart to edge Peter Wright 6-5 after trailing 5-4.
Damon Heta also pulled off a comeback, surviving one match dart before battling past Joe Cullen 6-5.
Once again, Dirk van Duijvenbode stole the headlines, producing the highest average of the round for the third round running. He raced into a 5-0 lead against Matt Campbell before the Canadian mounted a spirited fightback to 5-4. However, DvD sealed a 6-4 victory with a superb 125 checkout as Campbell waited on 60 to force a decider, finishing with an excellent 102.63 average.
Quarter-Finals - Rock, Schindler, Smith, and Joyce Power into Last 4
Josh Rock 6-3 Daryl Gurney – Rock made a flying start, racing into a 4-0 lead, and despite a spirited fightback from Gurney, the young Northern Irishman closed out a solid win to reach the semi-finals.
Martin Schindler 6-4 Chris Dobey – In a thrilling, high-quality encounter featuring nine maximums, Schindler edged out Dobey, averaging a superb 107.78 compared to Dobey’s impressive 106.50.
Ross Smith 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode– Smith produced a clinical display to defeat van Duijvenbode, who averaged 101.89. Despite the Dutchman's quality, Smith held his nerve to book a spot in the final four.
Ryan Joyce 6-1 Damon Heta – Joyce capitalised on a poor start from Heta to cruise into his third European Tour semi-final in four events, delivering another dominant performance in Graz.
Semi-Finals – Schindler Survives Match Darts, Smith Fends Off Joyce's Fightback
Martin Schindler 7-6 Josh Rock
Both players entered the semi-final having already lifted a Players Championship title this season, each now chasing a first European Tour crown of the season.
Schindler made a stronger start, storming into a 3-1 lead as Rock struggled to match the German’s scoring power early on.
However, Rock soon found his rhythm, winning five of the next six legs to move 6-4 ahead as Schindler’s scoring power dipped.
Facing defeat, ‘The Wall’ responded superbly, posting a 15-dart break followed by a 16-dart hold to force a decider.
Despite throwing first in the final leg and producing strong scoring, Rock’s doubles deserted him. After missing five match darts, Schindler missed two of his own before Rock squandered two more, taking his total to seven missed match darts. Schindler finally sealed a dramatic victory with his third dart at double, erupting in a raw celebration after a dramatic finish.
Ross Smith 7-4 Ryan Joyce
Both players were competing in their second semi-final of the European Tour season, eyeing a maiden title.
Smith flew out of the blocks, surging into a 5-0 lead with two 15-darters, two 18-darters, and a 19-dart leg, a solid if unspectacular standard, with Joyce struggling badly on the outer ring, missing four darts at doubles in that span.
Joyce rallied, taking four of the next six legs to close the gap to 6-4 and apply some late pressure.
But Smith held firm. In the eleventh leg, he threatened a nine-dart leg with six perfect darts, eventually wrapping up the match in 12 darts with a 55 checkout to book his spot in the final.
🏆 The Final – Schindler Denies Smith to Claim Third European Tour Title
Both players came into the final in strong form, but Schindler, already a two-time European Tour champion, led the way in all key statistics and entered as the favourite. Smith, meanwhile, was chasing his maiden title on the European Tour.
Pre-Final Tournament Stats
Finalist | Average | Checkout % | 180s | Highest Checkout | Matches Played |
Schindler | 99.03 | 49% | 19 | 153 | 4 |
Smith | 94.65 | 47% | 13 | 107 | 4 |
Match Recap
After an early exchange of holds left the match level at 1-1, Schindler seized control, reeling off five consecutive legs to storm into a 6-1 lead. His relentless scoring and clinical finishing left Smith reeling, as the Englishman struggled to find consistency on the outer ring during this crucial spell.
Smith briefly threatened a comeback by winning three of the next four legs to narrow the deficit to 7-4. However, Schindler quickly slammed the door shut, sealing the title with a composed 14-dart leg on double 10.
The German once again erupted with emotion, bouncing across the stage in jubilation as he captured his third European Tour title, all achieved within the last 12 months.
Final Match Stats:
Finalist | Average | 180s | Checkout % |
Schindler | 93.66 | 3 | 47.06% (8/17) |
Smith | 91.36 | 4 | 28.57% (4/14) |
Closing Thoughts:
Martin Schindler claimed his third European Tour title in 12 months at the Austrian Darts Open, securing the coveted ‘Green Jacket’ and moving up to a career-high 19th in the world rankings. Despite facing a tough challenge in the last 16, where he recovered from 5-2 down against Kevin Doets, and surviving seven match darts in his semi-final against Josh Rock, Schindler’s consistency was undeniable, making him a deserving champion.
This victory highlights Schindler’s growing stature as a serious contender outside the traditional elite, with the potential to challenge for major honours later this year.
While Ross Smith fell just short in the final, he can be proud of his performance, reaching his third European Tour final despite not playing his best. Notable victories over Peter Wright and Dirk van Duijvenbode showcased his resilience throughout the tournament.
The European Tour now heads to Germany for the European Darts Grand Prix (ET6) from May 2nd–May 4th, with more high-quality action expected as the season continues.
🎙️ Post-Final Reaction:
Martin Schindler to PDC.tv:
"I'm over the moon," said Schindler, reflecting on his third European Tour title.
"It was tough today, especially after surviving some real challenges earlier in the tournament, but I’m so happy to come through and win. The match wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t need it to be.
"When the final dart hit, the relief was incredible. It’s always about getting over the line, and when you do, you can finally celebrate. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but now, I’m just thrilled."
Ross Smith to PDC.tv:
“Martin played brilliantly, and he fully deserves this title," said Smith.
"He was solid all weekend, and in the final, he just had that edge. I didn’t play my best, but I still got to the final, so there’s something to be proud of in that.
"Of course, I’d have liked to lift the trophy, but I'll take it on the chin. It’s a good result for my rankings, and it shows I can compete at this level, even when I’m not at my best."
Upcoming Tournaments:
Premier League Night 13:
May 1st at Utilita Arena, Birmingham (Live on Sky Sports)
European Darts Grand Prix (ET6):
May 2nd-May 4th, Glaspalast, Sindelfingen (Live on PDC.tv)
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