International Darts Open: Martin Schindler delights home crowd with maiden European Tour success

The 27-year-old German powered his way to an 8-5 win over the two-time defending champion at the WT Energiesysteme Arena in Riesa to claim his first senior PDC crown.

Price opened the final with an 11-dart leg, but world number 24 Schindler – nicknamed ‘The Wall’ – refused to buckle and checked out on 120 to take a 5-4 lead before throwing in a 10-dart leg to go 7-4 up.

Having left himself 48 to clinch victory, he made no mistake, putting his first dart in the single 16 bed and hitting the double with his second to popular acclaim from the home crowd.

Schindler’s passage had been secured by a 7-3 semi-final demolition of England’s Chris Dobey, who never recovered from losing the first five legs, with the German having disposed of Dutchmen Richard Veenstra and Danny Noppert on his way to the last four.

Price earned his place in the final with a 7-5 victory over Stephen Bunting, who hit a stunning 164 finish to level at 4-4 after trailing 4-1, but could not deny the reigning champion victory.

However the 39-year-old, who had averaged 115.74 in a 6-3 win over Ricardo Pietreczko to make it into the last eight, found the going significantly tougher against quarter-final opponent Ross Smith, who led 3-0 and 5-2, but ultimately succumbed 6-5.

Earlier Dobey, who whitewashed Germany’s Gabriel Clemens in the last 16, landed a 167 check-out on his way to a 6-2 quarter-final success against Ryan Searle which was clinched with a 10-darter.

Bunting, who had accounted for world number one Luke Humphries 6-4 in the third round, was pushed further by Rob Cross’ conqueror Ritchie Edhouse in the quarter-finals.

Edhouse had a match dart at 5-5, but missed double 12 and saw Bunting calmly hit single 12 and double to to take the decider.

Humphries was not the only big name to go out in the last 16 with Nathan Aspinall, Cross and Damon Heta falling to Noppert, Edhouse and Searle respectively.

Photo Credit: Jonas Hunold/PDC Europe