The German darts hopefuls Gabriel Clemens was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Darts World Cup. The 37-year-old lost his round of 16 on Tuesday evening at Alexandra Palace in London 3: 4 against his Polish opponent Krzysztof Ratajski, who will now face Stephen Bunting or Ryan Searle in the quarter-finals on New Years.
“The German Giant” Clemens ran after a deficit the whole evening in an even match, as Ratajski was allowed to start the odd sets. In the decision leg of the final sentence it got dramatic. Both players missed various chances to win, each ending up with two points remaining. Clemens missed seven match darts before Ratajski scored the double 1 to win. Clemens was previously the first German professional to reach the round of 16 at a World Cup.
The best German arrow thrower had already lost all five direct duels against Ratajski. After his coup over Champion Wright, the way to the semi-finals seemed open. Because Ratajski (ranked 15th), Bunting (26) and Searle (unset) are all not among the closest world leaders. On Wednesday there are six more round of 16 with ex-champ Gary Anderson from Scotland and co-favorite Gerwyn Price from Wales.
