Luke Littler fails again in European Championship bid to complete PDC major title set as Martin Schindler and Ross Smith shine

Luke Littler is out! It is yet another attempt at the European Championship that has fallen by the wayside, with Krzysztof Ratajski managing to beat the World Number One on Sunday afternoon in Dortmund 10-6.

Littler looked likely to even stem the tide at the end of the game and looked on course to produce an epic comeback win. But in the end Ratajski managed to find the break he needed to put him one away after previously missing darts to get to nine legs prior to Littler's comeback.

But now Littler, who is only missing the European Championship from his collection, now heads into the latter stages of the season with his major duck continuing. Littler led early with a 52 checkout, but he only claimed one leg for most of the opening gambit as Ratajski broke for 73 after Littler missed 64 to hold.

Ratajski held with a 74 checkout for 3-1 and then broke again after yet more missed darts from Littler for 4-1 on 62. Ratajski held with 68 and then broke with double 20 after 152; this time it was missed by Littler with a pattern emerging of Littler missing and Ratajski hitting.

Ratajski went 7-1 and 8-2 up in the end from there onwards, but this is where the comeback came as Littler broke for 8-4 after Ratajski missed darts to go 9-2 up, and from there, Littler took every chance going 8-6 down on double 10.

But Littler missed 82, and Ratajski came back for 49 to go 9-6 up before pinning double 20 after you guessed it, a missed dart from Littler, as he missed 121. Littler is out, and Ratajski now faces Martin Schindler.

Ross Smith kicked it all off with an incredible display to dump out Luke Woodhouse. 'Smudger' took down his fellow in-form ace with another brilliant win, averaging 107 in the process. The World Series of Darts champion keeps on proving himself time and time again.

He won 10-6 in the end, breaking early on in the piece with an exquisite 121 checkout in the process to go 2-1 up before he held for 3-1 on 67. Woodhouse wasn't broken the next time with 'Woody' pinning 108 for 3-2 down. He managed to keep on Smith's coattails despite his average rising. Smith hit double 10 for 5-2, but he missed 133 to hold, and Woodhouse hit 87 for 5-3.

Another break followed, though, with Smith hitting double eight, and he pinned a brilliant 145 checkout to make it 7-3. He stretched his lead to 8-4 only to be broken for 81 by Woodhouse. Albeit Smith hit back with a double 16, with Woodhouse only waiting on 60 for 9-6. He sealed the win from there with an 81 checkout for 10-6.

Gerwyn Price now awaits who thrashed Stephen Bunting in one of multiple one-sided victories during this afternoon's proceedings, averaging 97 in the process to win 10-3. Bunting was down 2-0 early on, which wasn't a great omen for his hopes in the contest, with Price breaking on double 20 after a great opening salvo of 105.

Price then hit 104 to make it 3-0, and he broke from there on double six to make it 4-0 before surging into a 5-0 lead on double 18. Bunting took six legs to finally get himself on the board at 5-1 on double eight.

But this did not prove a good omen at all anyway, as Price was very much undeniable. He hit double five to go 6-1 up with Bunting missing 150 and 94 for 5-2 down, which could've held the key for a revival. But as it stood, it wasn't anything of the sort, as Price broke then with a 72 checkout for 7-1, and despite being broken back on 60, he stretched his lead to 8-3 despite a 110 checkout from Bunting.

Price broke for 9-3 with a 76 checkout, though, and rubber stamped an emphatic win with an 87 checkout to make it 10-3.

But what followed was even more emphatic as Martin Schindler managed to thrash Jonny Clayton to continue his revival. From being top seed two years ago, he has had to claw and fight his way back after he barely qualified this time and has not been able to play other events that have been part of his calendar due to his ProTour status, such as World Matchplay and World Grand Prix.

He managed to win 10-1 with a 103 average. Clayton's leg came in the second showing just how much of a railroading it was on Schindler's end. From there it was nine straight legs for The Wall. He broke with a 56 checkout for 3-1 before then holding with 127, with Clayton holding for 81.

A 167 then followed for Schindler, which showed him to be the immovable object, with 116 being left by Clayton waiting. A 74 checkout from Schindler followed as he went 6-1 up. He missed 124 for 7-1, but he returned for 25 to lead further before pinning double 10 for 8-1.

Clayton's nail in the coffin was sealed with Clayton missing 148 and left on 90, as Schindler missed 132 on the bull but returned to hit 25 for 9-1, and he held on from there to win 10-1. A true statement from The Wall.