Jan Schmidt's Wolverhampton race against time set after reaching PDC Europe Super League Quarter-Finals
PDC
The battle for the coveted World Championship spot is drawing ever closer. On Thursday evening in Hildesheim, the eight last-16 matches were played at the PDC Europe Super League 2026. The leading contenders all came through unscathed: Paul Krohne and Jan Schmidt booked their places on finals day, along with Super League veteran Dragutin Horvat and former World Championship participant René Eidams. Marcel Hausotter also continued his impressive run.
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He remained unbeaten against Patrick Tringler and can still dream of a big stage appearance at Alexandra Palace. On Friday, the remaining eight players will battle for the title and the World Championship qualification that comes with it.
The most gripping match of the evening was arguably the clash between Paul Krohne and Mika Donnevert. The 25-year-old Krohne lived up to his billing as favourite but had to work hard for his 6-4 win. Donnevert moved 2-1 ahead with a break and later fought back from 2-4 to level at 4-4. Krohne showed his class when it mattered, hitting a superb 104 checkout to make it 5-4 before sealing his place in the quarter-finals.
Super League veteran Horvat back in the quarter-finals
He will face Dragutin Horvat on Friday. Horvat had earlier beaten Carsten Hoffmann 6-2 in convincing fashion. After losing the opening leg, the Super League veteran took control with a 14-darter followed by a 13-dart break. Two excellent 82 checkouts underlined the experienced player’s strong performance.
Super League veteran Dragutin Horvat is back in the quarter-finals. A commanding 6:2 win over Carsten Hoffmann keeps “Herkules” in contention for the coveted World Championship spot. One of the leading contenders, Paul Krohne, awaits on Friday.
Jan Schmidt was equally assured. The 22-year-old World Youth finalist dominated his match against Super League debutant Lukas Nußbaum and advanced to the last eight with a convincing 6:1 victory.
Hausotter remains unbeaten as young guns make their mark
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Marcel Hausotter extended his impressive unbeaten run. The Berliner, who had come through the entire group stage without defeat, beat Austria’s Patrick Tringler 6-3.
Hausotter made a slow start and fell 2:0 behind. But a brilliant 12-darter sparked his comeback. The Berliner won four legs in a row, then extended his lead to 5-3 before sealing his place in the quarter-finals.
On Friday, Hausotter will take on the 19-year-old Florian Preis, who had beaten René Kern 6-3. Preis controlled much of the match and impressed with an 88 checkout before sealing the win with a 64 checkout.
Lenny Schlüter also helped the next generation make its mark. The 18-year-old beat Kevin Jußen 6-2 and thrilled the crowd with a spectacular attempt at a 150 checkout via three bullseyes. His first two darts landed in the red centre, while the third narrowly missed the bullseye.
Eidams and Scholz complete the first quarter-final
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René Eidams had secured his place earlier in the evening with a 6:3 win over Patrick Reisenegger. The former World Championship participant came from behind, hit a 109 checkout and sealed the victory with a superb 14-darter.
His quarter-final opponent will be Tim Scholz, who edged out Jaimy van de Weerd, winner of the NEXT GEN Order of Merit, 6:4 in a hard-fought match. Scholz impressed with an 11-darter and held his nerve in a tense finish.
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All eight quarter-finalists are now confirmed. On Friday in Hildesheim, the players will find out who claims the coveted spot at the Darts World Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace.
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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.
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- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026