In a nip amd tuck opening, Schindler and Van Veen divided the first four legs neatly between them, but then Schindler put on the afterburners and won the next four legs in succession and thus took the match. The 27-year-old German achieved an impressive average of 108.82 in the process.
"I’m so happy with that performance, but tomorrow is a different day," stressed Schindler, who, as mentioned, will be looking for a second consecutive tournament victory on the European Tour.
Schindler will take on seventh-seeded Rob Cross in the second round. "Rob is one of the best players in the world. He’s a Premier League participant, so like today, I’m going to be warned about what he’s capable of," Schindler concludes. "I am just focused on my game, and if I’m able to play like I can, I might have a chance!”
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.
🔥 Spectacular Schindler
☢️ Littler's whitewash win
🇳🇱 Brilliance from Barney
😳 Former champs exit
Recap & reaction from an eventful opening day in Sindelfingen! ✍👇