Ricardo Pietreczko sniffed the sensation for a long time and had Luke Humphries on the verge of defeat. But a 3-1 lead was not enough to move into the round of 16 of the Darts World Cup over the big title favorites. In the end it was 3:4 from a German perspective. Both players ended up with an average of 91 points, Pietreczko’s double rate was even slightly better than that of his opponent (39 to 38 percent). “I was already out, it was bad,” Humphries admitted after his win. Ultimately, Pietreczko was 54 points short of victory.
This means that the German festival in the Ally Pally has now come to an early end given the formidable starting position over Christmas. After four Germans reached the third round for the first time in World Cup history, none made it to the round of 16. On Wednesday, the German numbers one and two were already eliminated in their third round matches.
Gabriel Clemens lost 1:4 to Dave Chisnall after a major false start with major problems at the checkout. Martin Schindler lost 3-4 against Scott Williams in extra time. Just one day later, Florian Hempel followed suit against the furious Stephen Bunting and Pietreczko.
Very close: Ricardo Pietreczko had the sensation in mind against Luke Humphries
Quelle: Getty Images/Tom Dulat
“The media hype was already very big before Christmas. It was almost as if we had found a cure for cancer,” said Hempel about the increased attention now directed at others. Joe Cullen, for example, will be the next to try against Humphries in the round of 16. The “rock star” had wanted it differently: “I would rather play against Ricardo if I could choose,” hoped Cullen, who had already been eliminated against Humphries in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix.
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For a long time, Cullen’s wish seemed to come true. “Without Germany there would be nothing going on here,” sang the fans in the Ally Pally at the start of the match. Pietreczko grinned. Did he already know what was waiting for the 3,200 fans?
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Humphries only managed an average score of 89 in the first half of the game, made ten errors on doubles and still took the first set. The plan to take advantage of “Cool Hand Luke’s” weak phases did not work. Not yet. The first break seemed to have been good for the German. He confidently completed his throw and made it 2-0 with a 91 checkout. The fact that he couldn’t use three set darts and conceded the 1:2 ultimately only cost him a small victory lap. “Pikachu” checked on double 14 to equalize the set.
German fans cause trouble
Humphries seemed warned, showed emotions early in the match and also reacted to the crowd, which, given the almost 1,000 Germans at Alexandra Palace, tried to influence the Englishman’s game – and did so, as both players subsequently criticized.
“I had 99 percent of the audience against me. That was really hard. They disrupted almost every one of my litters. At one point I thought I was in Germany. “That was so hard,” Humphries complained after the match. “The audience was on my side, I thought: too much on my side. Luke had already told me during the break that spectators would shout at his throws. “I don’t like that at all,” Pietreczko jumped to his side.
He took the lead in the third set. The decision was made in the decider, which “Pikachu” started with a 180 against the throw and, after two missed set darts from both of them, landed on double 5: 2:1.
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The 29-year-old had played an average of 91 points up to that point, only hitting a third of his attempts on the doubles courts, but it was enough against the big favorite, who had three with the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals who had won the last four major tournaments, took the lead.
“I will do my best and see if I can tickle him or even hit him,” Pietreczko said before the match on DAZN. The tickling had worked, but after the smooth 3-0 in the fourth set, which the world number 39 closed with a 121 to finish, it was all about the really big coup. “If you don’t jump, you’re not German” – the Ally Pally trembled.
Humphries, on the other hand, was running out of time to find a way into the match. With every high shot, with every successful finish, the 28-year-old’s confidence seemed to crumble further and further. “Home game in England. We have a home game in England,” chanted the fans, and Pietreczko actually seemed to feel at home in his third appearance. After further mistakes from Humphries, he got the break to make it 1-0, but was punished for a missed double 18 with the score 1-1.
The Englishman made it 2-1, but missed four set darts so that “Pikachu” made it 2-2. “One more goes, one more goes in,” the fans chanted. The German was only one leg away from the big coup. The world number three pulled his head out of the loop again and checked 50 points to make it 2:3 after sets. His opponent had previously been unable to play 144 points to zero and waited with 54 points remaining.
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The German’s throw-off set followed, but he was now three legs away from the finish line and suddenly found himself facing an improved Humphries. Both players initially got their throw through before the Englishman broke to make it 2-1 and then confidently pulled through: 3-3 after sets.
The momentum had changed, Humphries averaged over 100 in the sixth round, “Pikachu” was around ten points below and barely hit a triple. The 0:1 and 0:2 were the logical consequence. The German ran out of fuel on the long route, which was unusual for him. The dream of the sensation ended on double 10. The last six legs all went to England.
Darts World Cup, results on December 28th
3rd round:
Florian Hempel (D) – Stephen Bunting (ENG/18) 0:4 (2:3; 1:3; 2:3; 2:3)
Joe Cullen (ENG/14) – Ryan Searle (ENG/19) 4:2 (3:1; 3:1; 0:3; 2:3; 3:2; 3:2)
Ross Smith (ENG/16) – Chris Dobey (ENG/17) 2:4 (1:3; 1:3; 3:2; 3:1; 2:3; 1:3)
Gerwyn Price (WAL/5) – Brendan Dolan (NIR/28) 2:4 (2:3; 3:1; 2:3; 3:0; 2:3; 2:3)
Luke Humphries (ENG/3) – Ricardo Pietreczko (D) 4:3 (3:1; 1:3; 2:3; 0:3; 3:2; 3:1; 3:0)
Ricky Evans (ENG) – Daryl Gurney (NIR/27) 2:4 (3:1; 2:3; 3:2; 2:3; 2:3; 1:3)
Darts World Cup, schedule for December 29th
3rd round (from 1:45 p.m.):
Damon Heta (AUS/10) – Berry van Peer (NED)
Jonny Clayton (WAL/9) – Krzysztof Ratajski (POL/24)
Jim Williams (WAL) – Raymond van Barneveld (NED/29)
3rd round (from 8 p.m.):
1x 3rd round
Boris Krcmar (CRO) – Gary Anderson (SCO/21)
Round of 16 (from 9 p.m.):
2x round of 16
Michael van Gerwen (NED/2) – Stephen Bunting (ENG/18)
Michael Smith (ENG/1) – Chris Dobey (ENG/17)
