Paul Krohne battles back from 6-0 down to secure World Championship spot with spectacular comeback in PDC Europe Super League final
PDC
Paul Krohne sensationally booked his place at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. The 26-year-old German trailed Jan Schmidt 6-0 in the PDC Europe Super League final but fought back to win 8-7. Krohne capped a successful season, having already claimed the Dutch Open title.
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Friday evening’s PDC Europe Super League final produced a remarkable finish. Krohne, who had been considered one of the leading title contenders, looked out of the contest for long spells against Schmidt. But the former PDC Tour Card holder showed great resilience and turned an almost certain defeat into a victory.
Schmidt looks set for a convincing win
Schmidt made an excellent start to the final. The former World Youth Championship finalist broke his opponent with an 18-dart leg and quickly extended his lead. Two 14-dart legs and an impressive 148 checkout took him to a 6-0 advantage. At that point, Schmidt needed just two more legs to secure his place at the World Championship.
Krohne refused to accept defeat. The German began his fightback with an 11-darter and then capitalised on the shift in momentum. Two 15-dart legs, featuring checkouts of 70 and 105, and three 17-dart legs brought him level at 6-6.
Schmidt briefly halted his opponent’s charge with a 17-darter to regain the lead. Krohne levelled again, forcing a deciding 15th leg.
Krohne seized the initiative straight away. Scores of 140 and 180 put his opponent under pressure, before he sealed the match. The comeback earned him not only the Super League title but also his first appearance at the PDC World Championship.
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Krohne beats two-time winner
Krohne’s route to the final was far from straightforward. In the quarter-finals, he faced Dragutin Horvat, a two-time PDC Europe Super League winner. The experienced German was hoping to qualify for the World Championship again, but Krohne ended his bid with a 6-4 victory.
Florian Preis, another contender for the World Championship spot, also went out in the last eight. He lost to Marcel Hausotter in a deciding leg. Schmidt and Krohne then both came through their semi-finals, setting up a final between the two remaining title contenders.
The defeat was a major disappointment for Schmidt. He had dominated most of the final but could not turn his commanding lead into a win. The German will have another chance to perform on a big stage on Saturday evening, when he makes his Grand Slam of Darts debut in Wolverhampton.
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PDC Europe Super League results
| Final | ||||||
| Paul Krohne | (90.48) | 8 | vs | 7 | (87.91) | Jan Schmidt |
| Semi-finals | ||||||
| Paul Krohne | (94.58) | 7 | vs | 3 | (89.12) | Rene Eidams |
| Jan Schmidt | (86.78) | 7 | vs | 1 | (77.82) | Marcel Hausotter |
| Quarter-finals | ||||||
| Rene Eidams | (88.37) | 6 | vs | 4 | (91.35) | Tim Scholz |
| Paul Krohne | (88.80) | 6 | vs | 4 | (84.74) | Dragutin Horvat |
| Jan Schmidt | (87.20) | 6 | vs | 5 | (86.31) | Lenny Schlüter |
| Marcel Hausotter | (86.14) | 6 | vs | 5 | (89.18) | Florian Preis |
| Last 16 | ||||||
| Rene Eidams | (92.75) | 6 | vs | 3 | (83.52) | Patrick Reisenegger |
| Tim Scholz | (87.60) | 6 | vs | 4 | (81.29) | Jaimy Van de Weerd |
| Dragutin Horvat | (84.00) | 6 | vs | 2 | (82.48) | Carsten Hoffmann |
| Paul Krohne | (86.13) | 6 | vs | 4 | (88.14) | Mika Donnevert |
| Lenny Schlüter | (85.25) | 6 | vs | 2 | (85.79) | Kevin Jußen |
| Jan Schmidt | (82.46) | 6 | vs | 1 | (66.54) | Lukas Nußbaum |
| Florian Preis | (85.71) | 6 | vs | 3 | (78.13) | René Kern |
| Marcel Hausotter | (88.90) | 6 | vs | 3 | (81.15) | Patrick Tringler |
Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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