'The relief was massive' - Pietreczko & Schindler for Germany to World Cup of Darts semifinals in thriller

Germany are through to the semi-finals of the 2025 World Cup of Darts after a dramatic 8–7 win over Australia. In a nerve-wracking quarter-final, Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko held their nerve in the deciding leg – and made the seemingly impossible happen.

“I think we both had the exact same thought – that was a battle to the absolute limit,” Pietreczko told PDC Europe, reflecting on the emotions after the match. “The relief was massive that we still managed to win it.”

Things reached boiling point in the final leg, when Pietreczko set up the finish brilliantly to give Schindler a clear path to victory. “Ricardo asked me whether he should go for bull or the 14 – I told him to go 14, because that would leave me either double 12 or 52. He hit the treble 14, and I cleaned up the double 12 straight away,” Schindler explained, outlining the match plan – and his determination. “In that moment, all you think is: I’m finishing this now, I’m winning this game for us. First dart, double 12, and that was that.”

Germany might have sealed the win earlier, if not for missed chances. “We missed a lot of darts at doubles – but in pairs, that doesn’t matter. There’s no ‘Martin’ or ‘Ricardo’ – we carry that burden together,” Pietreczko admitted with some self-criticism. All the more important, then, was the break for 7–7 that took the game to a decider. “That was huge – especially because Australia didn’t start well after that.”

It’s the third time in World Cup history that Germany has reached the semi-finals – but the first with the pairing of Schindler and Pietreczko. A major milestone for both players. “Just reaching the final would mean a great deal to me,” Schindler said. “But we also know that Northern Ireland will be a really tough opponent. We’ll have to raise our game again – the semi-final won’t be a walk in the park.”

Still, the duo are savouring the moment. “When we saw the group draw, the semi-final definitely wasn’t our first thought. Nor was it after drawing England,” Pietreczko admitted. “But here we are – and now we go again.”

For Pietreczko, playing in his first World Cup, the quarter-final was also a testament to their chemistry as a team. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Martin,” he said with a smile. “When we laugh, we laugh together. When we’re serious, we’re serious together – it just works perfectly.”