Peter Wright will not defend his European Championship title this weekend after being dumped out in the opening round of a TV tournament for the second time in a row.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wright lost in the opening round of the World Grand Prix and now it is Florian Hempel, the German debutant who has accounted for him in a dream opening tie winning 6-3 in the end.
Hempel got on with his task immediately claiming first blood against Wright with a 97 checkout and after he doubled his lead to break at 2-0, Wright's change of darts didn't look to be working.
His troubles continued as Hempel surged into a 4-1 lead at the break. A change of darts once more did the trick though for Wright who capitalised on missed darts to make it 5-1 from Hempel.
'Snakebite' kept Hempel from the finishing line momentarily as he pinned double five to trail 6-3.
Wright missed the chance to keep himself in the tie and Hempel pinned double 10 to move through.
While Jose de Sousa before that did just enough to get the job done against Lewy Williams with the Welsh prospect not able to mark his debut with a win going down 6-3.
ADVERTISEMENT
De Sousa wasn't at his best early on in the tie but did just enough going 3-2 up before holding to make it 4-2 with a first 180 and an 84 checkout.
He produced a second 180 to go 5-3 up despite only having 27% on the doubles and despite Williams holding with De Sousa ready to claim the win, it was merely a consolation as 'The Special One' himself edged through.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗟 𝗗𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣!
Incredible debut performance from Florian Hempel as he shows composure to beat reigning champion Peter Wright 6-3.
We will have a new name on the @CazooUK European Championship this year!