“People thought my tooth fell out – it was chewing gum!” – Krivka reacts to viral moment as Czech Republic reach World Cup quarter-finals

Team Czech Republic has made history by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup of Darts for the first time, and they did so with authority. Karel Sedlacek and Petr Krivka recorded a dominant 8–3 win over Malaysia in Frankfurt’s Eissporthalle to secure their place among the final eight.

After the match in an interview with dartsnews.com, Sedlacek was visibly emotional. “I don’t know what to say. This is my ninth participation, and we’ve done it! It’s just perfect.” He added that he felt really good after two difficult matches in the previous days and was simply happy for both himself and Krivka: “We’re in the quarter-finals!”

The Czech pair have thrived in the tournament’s doubles format. “It’s a special discipline for us. I only play singles matches all year, and then I play a tournament in the doubles format and I just really like it. Now I just feel over the moon,” Sedláček said.

When asked if this might have been the best performance of his PDC career, he responded, “I think I can play even better, but this match was great. I threw a few 180s and hit a few doubles—in the doubles format it was definitely one of the best matches of my life.”

Although Sedláček is usually the calmer presence on stage, he smiled when talking about Krivka’s energy. “I believe and hope that I myself am also emotionally involved. But when I turn around and shout ‘Yeah’, Peter shouts ‘Yeah’ twice as loud, every time!”

For Krivka, 2025 has been a whirlwind of progress, and the dream continues. “This is wonderful. I’m playing in the Bundesliga, Super League, and now I’m even in the Order of Merit with my prize money. Now I’m here at the World Cup, sitting here in front of the media, it’s all the first time for me... It’s just wonderful!”

He credited his European Tour appearances for helping him prepare mentally. “The first experiences on stage were good. That’s the way to go, two European Tour appearances were already good, but you need that stage experience. Now we’re sitting here, and I’m just happy with Karel, my best friend. This is just a dream.”

Despite the joy, Krivka acknowledged the physical and emotional toll of this rapid rise. “It’s difficult to juggle everything, I always have to concentrate, always have to train. There’s hardly any time between tournaments; it all came thick and fast. It’s a difficult time, but thanks to my wife and sons, I manage it. My wife always spurs me on.”

He continued, “Now I also get to play the World Team Championships here, I don’t even know what tomorrow will bring. I said on Wednesday that I still wanted to play on Sunday, and now we’ve achieved that. That’s wonderful. And the hotel has been booked long enough!”

Following their strong showing, Sedláček believes the Czech Republic has earned respect on the world stage. “I think every nation is scared now, we are one of the best teams in the world! I think anything can happen now.”

A potential clash with the Netherlands awaits, depending on the result between Scotland and the Dutch. “They are very, very good players and a very good team,” said Sedláček. “But this is a special competition, and together we can do anything!” With a smile, both players added, “We are counting on Scotland.”

Krivka surprised reporters by answering questions in fluent German. “My father and mother speak great German, but unfortunately, I never really learned it, only three years at school. So I speak more classic construction site German,” he joked. “It’s just a difficult language I’d like to speak better. My answers are poor, but I understand a lot.”

Finally, he cleared up a curious moment from earlier in the tournament. During a celebration, it looked as if one of his teeth had fallen out, prompting a wave of speculation online. “It wasn’t a tooth, it was just a piece of chewing gum,” he laughed.