He concluded with a high finish.
114 to victory for Florian Hempel, who surprisingly clearly won the German duel on his World Cup debut against Martin Schindler 3-0. A final point, almost typical for this match. He had deleted more than 100 points three times. Three times they ultimately meant winning the set.
For Schindler, it was the third first round defeat at Alexandra Palace after his appearances at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships.
The two Germans had prepared for the World Cup together. On the first weekend in December, they spent a weekend of preparation together at Gabriel Clemens’s home, and even played against each other several times in the World Cup format.
And the day before their match, they made an appointment to practice in room 302, the practice room of the player’s hotel in London.
Whenever the two had met, it had been an even duel. And also in public, at the Super League final in Niedernhausen in April, it was very close.
The final was one of the most exciting matches of the year. After both had missed several opportunities to win, Schindler prevailed in the end with 11:10 and bought his ticket for the Alexandra Palace for the third time. At that time, neither of them could have suspected that both would establish themselves among the world’s best in the following months with consistently good performances.
In addition to Hempel, Schindler would also have qualified for the World Cup via the ProTour, but started as one of the 32 international qualifiers due to his victory in the Super League, which was what made the German duel, which they both unwanted, possible in the first place.
Unlike in the training games, however, this time it was not exciting on the largest stage in darts.
Both started at a high level. When Hempel, who had secured the throw-off when sculling, checked 156 points to win the first set, both were still without a failed attempt on the double fields. Schindler had an average of 101.15 points, Hempel 94.50. Schindler came on stage with Rammstein’s “I want”. But his Cologne opponent, with Dom on his jersey and Brings’ “Kölsche Jung” at the walk-on, wouldn’t let him.
Hempel followed up with a 158 checkout for the break in the third leg of the second set. Two high finishes that almost alone made the difference. Schindler, however, punished Hempel’s five mistakes on the double 9 to rebreak. Problems that subsequently overtook the 25-year-old Strausberger. After numerous mistakes on both sides, Hempel was more stable in the decisive phase and won the second round 3-2. The double rate (29%: 38%) and the average (89.19: 89.32) had suffered significantly.
In the third set they both managed to get through their throws before Hempel managed the decisive break to 2: 1 and he confirmed it with his third high finish to victory. The 31-year-old is the second German after Gabriel Clemens in the second round. The “German Giant” will meet the Welshman Lewy Williams or Toyokazu Shibata from Japan on Thursday evening (all games live on Sport1 and DAZN *). Hempel is already challenged on Tuesday evening against Belgian Dimitri van den Bergh, number five on the seeding list.
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