Clap against the world champion
Booed-off darts shooting star “Pikachu” loses his nerve
November 13, 2023, 10:25 a.m
Ricardo Pietreczko’s furious darts journey is taking a break for the time being at the Grand Slam in Wolverhampton. After two games in the tournament in group mode, he already has no chance of reaching the round of 16. In the game against women’s world champion Beau Greaves, he is annoyed by the audience.
The German shooting star Ricardo Pietreczko missed the round of 16 at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton after the second defeat in the second duel. The 29-year-old, who was the only German to qualify, lost without a chance 1:5 after a weak game of his own against probably the best darts player in the world at the moment, 19-year-old Beau Greaves from England.
Right from the start, “Pikachu” was annoyed by the home audience, who sided with Greaves. The German was booed almost constantly. Whenever Pietreczko’s darts didn’t land where they were supposed to, cheers erupted. When he had a high finish in the fourth leg, checking out 118 points, he exploded. He provoked the audience with an ear gestureit did him more harm than good.
Greaves mercilessly exploited her opponent’s weakness and secured the chance to advance. It was her first success against a male opponent at a major PDC tournament. There will definitely be no further victory at the end of the year at the World Championships in London’s Alexandra Palace. Greaves qualified in sport, but canceled her participation because she would rather defend her world championship title with the rival WDF association. The professional darts organization PDC had previously announced that it would not allow participation in both world championships.
Not the first time the audience has been annoyed
This is not bad news for Pietreczko, as it rules out a repeat of the game against Greaves with possible further whistles and boos. The fact that the 29-year-old cannot deal with this well at all is also due to his own sense of justice. At the beginning of the season he warned fans in Leverkusen not to boo their non-German opponents. That didn’t help him. At the end of September he was upset by spectators when he first lost his nerve and then the game against a local qualifier at the Hungarian Darts Trophy in Hungary.
At the end of October, on the sidelines of the European Championships in Dortmund, he also revealed how much he is annoyed by whistles from the audience, whether directed at him or his opponents. “I don’t want to comment on that anymore,” said Pietreczko to ntv.de after his first-round win against the booed Englishman Ross Smith.
At the start of the Grand Slam on Saturday, the current number 44 in the world had to face the world number 13. Damon Heta from Australia narrowly lost 4:5. This Monday evening is his last duel against the two-time World Cup semi-finalist and World Matchplay winner Nathan Aspinall from England. However, it is no longer possible for Pietreczko to advance to group H.
Four Germans are going to the World Cup
A month ago, “Pikachu” triumphed at the German Darts Championship in Hildesheim and became the second German after Max Hopp to win a European Tour event organized by the Professional Darts Corporation in 2018. This also ensured his participation in the Grand Slam. World Cup semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens and Martin, Germany’s current number two, failed to qualify.
The Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton is the only PDC ranking tournament that begins with a group phase. Two players from each of the eight groups qualify for the round of 16. The final of the Eric Bristow Trophy will take place on November 19th, and the defending champion is world champion Michael Smith from England. Pietreczko, who only became a professional with the tour card at the beginning of January 2022, is one of at least four Germans – alongside Clemens, Schindler and Dragutin Horvat – who has already qualified for the World Cup in London from December 15th to January 3rd.