Ritchie Edhouse clinches the European Darts Championship title in the year 2024
In a thrilling four-day tournament, Ritchie Edhouse, a 41-year-old darts player, emerged victorious at the 2024 PDC European Championship held in Dortmund.
The competition, featuring 32 players, followed a knockout format with matches progressing from best of 11 legs in the early rounds to longer formats in later stages. The event ran from October 24 to 27, with evening sessions on the first two days and afternoon sessions on the weekend.
Several notable players faced early eliminations. Defending champion Peter Wright was knocked out in the first round by Jermaine Wattimena, while favoured player Luke Littler was eliminated by Andrew Gilding. German players Gabriel Clemens and Michael Schindler also failed to make it past the first round.
However, one German player, Ricardo Pietreczko, had a commendable run, winning his first-round match against Damon Heta and reaching the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, he lost to Danny Noppert in a deciding leg with a score of 10:9.
Edhouse, who climbed ten places up the PDC Order of Merit and now ranks 29, had a successful journey throughout the tournament. He defeated strong opponents like Michael Smith, the 2023 world champion, en route to the final. In the decisive match, Edhouse defeated Wattimena, aged 36, with a score of 11:3.
The final was played in the Best of 21 legs format, marking a departure from the usual sets-based format. This unusual format seemed to cause some confusion among players.
Michael van Gerwen, one of the participants, criticized the conditions in the Westfalenhalle, stating that the doors were open during his game, which affected his performance. Gerwyn Price, the defending Darts World Champion, was also eliminated in the first round by Northern Irishman Daryl Gurney.
Edhouse's victory earned him a spot in the Grand Slam of Darts in November. The Paddy Power World Darts Championship will begin in mid-December, providing another opportunity for darts enthusiasts to witness exciting competition.
The next PDC tournament is the PDC Players Championship, starting on October 30 in Leicester, UK.
[1] Source: PDC Official Website and Various Darts News Sites.
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