Pro Tour 7/8 – ET Quali 5/6

After a relatively long break from competition, I travelled to Leicester last Sunday feeling highly motivated. On the agenda were Players Championships tournaments 7 and 8, as well as the qualifiers for the European Tours in Sindelfingen and Graz.

The matches provided a varied and instructive experience. On Monday, I played an intense match against Niko Springer, one of the best German darts players at the moment. It’s really cool to see, and it drives me on, that I can already hold my own against players like him, even if it wasn’t quite enough in the end. On Tuesday, I faced Darius Labanauskas from Lithuania, whom I know very well from many other tournaments. Against players like Darius, it always comes down to form on the day, and we were both in excellent form. Darius impressed with a 100+ average and made almost no mistakes on the doubles. But that’s darts: I play brilliantly, but my opponent is just that little bit better. Yet that’s exactly what motivates me to keep pushing and training. If I can maintain this level of play consistently, I’m confident the wins will come.

On Wednesday, the European Tour qualifiers began in Sindelfingen with a defeat against Stephen Burton from England. Shortly afterwards came the qualifiers for Graz. There, I gradually found my rhythm and regained my confidence and consistency. The matches challenged me and showed me what I can continue to work on. The match against Chris Landman from the Netherlands, in particular, was very evenly matched and intense. Even though I narrowly missed out on qualifying for Graz after the defeat to Chris, I might still get a place with a bit of luck. It would, of course, be another highlight to be able to compete on the European Tour this year.

Sometimes the results aren’t what we’d hoped for. Nevertheless, I’m taking a lot of experience away with me and remain positive. The preparation and the matches in Leicester have reinforced my determination to continue on my path and keep training. I’m looking forward to the next challenges awaiting me on 13–14 April at the Pro Tour in Wigan.