"The sky is the limit" says Ritchie Edhouse after breaking new ground at European Championship 2024

Ritchie Edhouse has reached for the quarterfinal stages of a PDC major for the first time in his career. The 41-year-old Englishman defeated former world champion Michael Smith 10-9 in the second round of the 2024 European Championship and will now face another former world champion, Gary Anderson.

Edhouse has been one of the revelations of the past season qualifying for all majors and after being a player who sat on the cusp of the top 64, he has surged further into the top 40 and is into his maiden TV Quarter-Final. He did so in style on Saturday afternoon in a remarkable comeback coming from 4-1 down to win in a last leg decider to defeat 'Bully Boy'.

“I’m on cloud nine at the moment,” reflected Edhouse afterwards in his post-match press conference. “I’ve got a bit of grit in my game now. I might have rolled over previously, but now I have the belief, and my confidence went up throughout the game.”

Edhouse has enjoyed a rapid rise in 2024. The question now is just how high can the Englishman aim? "I think the sky is the limit if I put the hours in, which I've started to do," assessed Edhouse himself, a self-confessed lazy practicer. "It's in my hands. I could go as high as I want to. The key is just practice and that's what I'm doing well right now."

'Madhouse' will take on Gary Anderson, who was too strong for Michael van Gerwen in the second round 10-4. The winner of the duel between Edhouse and Anderson will take on the winner of the match between Dirk van Duijvenbode and Luke Woodhouse in the semifinals on Sunday night.

The tournament will be broadcast fully live on ITV. The daily evening sessions are at 6 p.m., while the afternoon sessions start at 11:45am. on Saturday and Sunday.

The first round will be completed on Thursday, Oct. 24, and Friday, Oct. 25. The 16 winners of the first round will compete for a spot among the final eight on Saturday, Oct. 26. The quarterfinals will be on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 27, followed by the semifinals and finals in the evening.