Martin Schindler defeated Callan Rydz 6-3 in the second round of the
European Darts Matchplay. The Wall trailed 2-0, but then rallied to win five legs in a row.
"It was a tough start," Schindler declared afterwards in the onstage interview. "I'll be honest, I felt good during practice and of course I wanted to convey that on stage. Then you start: 60, 59... So no triples. That's annoying, of course, but I was able to work my way out of it. It was also a bit of luck for me, but I'm happy that I get to play again on this stage."
As the match progressed, Rydz's mental problems resurfaced. There was an incident between him and the writer, which infuriated The Riot and took him out of his game.
"I think it's a shame that Callan sometimes lets himself go so much, that sometimes he doesn't know how to hold back," Schindler commented on his English opponent's behavior.
"He is a fantastic darts player, he has achieved incredible things. At the time I didn't care what he was doing because I have to concentrate on my own thing. I have to do my thing no matter what he (Rydz) is doing now. Whether he is happy or unhappy, I have to do my job. That's what I did and I got through it."
Van Veen
In the last sixteen, the German faces Gian van Veen, who earlier defeated Damon Heta with an average of 114.15.
"If he plays 114.15 again, he will beat a lot of players," Schindler looked ahead to the upcoming encounter. "Even though he will give me a hard time, it's another new day. You never know. I'm going to do my best, work on myself and hopefully win the match."
Fantastic atmosphere
During his match, The Wall was constantly cheered, applauded and carried along by the mostly German audience. Schindler did not fail to thank the fans. "The atmosphere was fantastic. Thank you so much for that, Trier, mega great, thank you!"