Schmutzler still can't understand his World Championship participation: 'I could only have dreamt it'

Out of nowhere, the then 16-year-old Fabian Schmutzler managed to qualify for the World Darts Championship last year via the Development Tour.

Because he did not turn 16 until later in 2021, the German was only allowed to play in the last six Development Tour tournaments. That went so well, however, that he still finished second on the Development Tour Order of Merit after two titles and one second-place finish.

A year later, Schmutzler can still hardly believe he would experience such a stormy rise. ''Of course I never thought it would go like that. Nobody did,'' he says in an interview with Dartsnews.de.

"I knew I was good at darts, but that it would come to this and right from the first time, I could only dream about that."

Schmutzler has only been playing darts since Christmas 2018. "My parents gave me an e-dartboard, which was soon replaced by a regular dartboard. Then I joined a dart club in March 2019."

This year, 'Fabulous Fab' played a full year on the PDC circuit for the first time. In it, he competed in the UK Open and made his debut on the Euro Tour. ''Through this I gained some stage experience. I traveled a lot, including in England, and I enjoy it while it lasts."

He made his Euro Tour debut at the International Darts Open. At that tournament, he lost in the first round to Daryl Gurney. Whether he can still remember that match?

"Yes, I remember that match. In general, I can remember almost all my matches. In the beginning, the nervousness was too much. I wasn't comfortable in the match and you can't afford that against a player like Gurney.''

Since the young German is still in school and his graduation is his top priority, his training is limited to an hour to an hour and a half a day. "I often train alone. Once a week a friend of mine comes over to train. I play a lot of 121 (this involves throwing out 121 within three innings and then you can move on to 122 etc., ed.). I also pay a lot of attention to the doubles.''

Last year, Schmutzler was just one point away from a PDC Tour Card. That begs the question of whether he wants to try again next year. "Of course you want to get the Tour Card when you play at Q-School. For myself, I don't have any expectations now. In two or three years I want to make a serious attempt for a Tour Card, because then my school will be finished,'' Schmutzler concluded.