Wright: 'The old guy can still do it!'

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 30 2023

Peter Wright believes his Machineseeker European Championship triumph can provide the springboard for a strong end to the 2023 season, after returning to winning ways in Germany.

Wonderful Wright seals second European Championship crown

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 29 2023

Peter Wright celebrated his first Premier televised ranking title in almost two years with a convincing 11-6 victory over James Wade in Sunday’s Machineseeker European Championship final.

Vintage Van Gerwen puts out Pietreczko in Dortmund second round thriller

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 28 2023

Michael van Gerwen produced an imperious performance to end the hopes of Germany’s new superstar Ricardo Pietreczko and move through to the Machineseeker European Championship quarter-finals on Saturday.

Van Gerwen survives Razma scare as Pietreczko dumps out Smith

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 27 2023

Michael van Gerwen survived a major scare to deny an inspired Madars Razma in a captivating opening round tussle at the Machineseeker European Championship.

Reigning champion Smith relishing title defence in Dortmund

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 27 2023

Ross Smith insists his confidence is sky-high as he prepares to begin his defence of the Machineseeker European Championship against Ricardo Pietreczko on Friday evening.

Wright's wonderful comeback sets up Smith showdown in Dortmund

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 26 2023

Peter Wright produced a monumental fightback to stun Gabriel Clemens and set up a second round showdown against Michael Smith at the Machineseeker European Championship.

Where to watch the 2023 Machineseeker European Championship

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 26 2023

The 2023 Machineseeker European Championship will take place in Dortmund from October 26-29 - below are the ways you can watch live around the world...

2023 Machineseeker European Championship preview

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 25 2023

The 2023 Machineseeker European Championship begins on Thursday, as the top 32 players from the 2023 European Tour Order of Merit compete for the £120,000 top prize in Dortmund.

2023 Machineseeker European Championship schedule confirmed

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 17 2023

The schedule of play for the 2023 Machineseeker European Championship first round has been confirmed, with five PDC World Champions in action on the opening night next Thursday.

Machineseeker to sponsor 2023 European Championship

Machineseeker European Championship

Oct 16 2023

The PDC is delighted to announce Machineseeker as the title sponsor of the 2023 European Championship.

The 2022 Cazoo European Championship took place from October 27-30 at the Westfalenhalle, Dortmund.

The tournament saw the top 32 players from the 2022 European Tour Order of Merit in action across four days, with Ross Smith winning his first televised ranking title.

2022 Cazoo European Championship
Schedule of Play
Thursday October 27
8x First Round

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Madars Razma
Ryan Searle 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Danny Noppert 6-3 Andrew Gilding
James Wade 6-5 Rob Cross
Luke Humphries 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Josh Rock 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Michael Smith 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Damon Heta

Friday October 28
8x First Round

Dave Chisnall 6-0 Stephen Bunting
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Daryl Gurney
Ross Smith 6-4 Joe Cullen
Jose de Sousa 6-1 Martin Schindler
Peter Wright 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Chris Dobey 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Gabriel Clemens

Saturday October 29
Afternoon Session
4x Second Round

Danny Noppert 10-9 Vincent van der Voort
Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-7 James Wade
Luke Humphries 10-6 Ryan Searle
Michael Smith 10-8 Josh Rock

Evening Session
4x Second Round

Ross Smith 10-8 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Peter Wright 10-4 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Dave Chisnall 10-6 Jonny Clayton
Chris Dobey 10-5 Jose De Sousa

Sunday October 30
Afternoon Session

Quarter-Finals Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-3 Danny Noppert
Michael Smith 10-7 Luke Humphries
Chris Dobey 10-7 Dave Chisnall
Ross Smith 10-8 Peter Wright

Evening Session
Semi-Finals Michael Smith 11-7 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ross Smith 11-9 Chris Dobey

Final
Ross Smith 11-8 Michael Smith

Draw Bracket
(1) Luke Humphries v (32) Krzysztof Ratajski
(16) Ryan Searle v (17) Martin Lukeman
(8) Michael Smith v (25) Karel Sedlacek
(9) Nathan Aspinall v (24) Josh Rock
(4) Rob Cross v (29) James Wade
(13) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (20) Madars Razma
(5) Damon Heta v (28) Vincent van der Voort
(12) Danny Noppert v (21) Andrew Gilding
(2) Michael van Gerwen v (31) Chris Dobey
(15) Jose de Sousa v (18) Martin Schindler
(7) Dave Chisnall v (26) Stephen Bunting
(10) Jonny Clayton v (23) Gabriel Clemens
(3) Peter Wright v (30) Ryan Meikle
(14) Gerwyn Price v (19) Rowby-John Rodriguez
(6) Joe Cullen v (27) Ross Smith
(11) Dimitri Van den Bergh v (22) Daryl Gurney

Ross Smith sensationally won his first televised title at the Cazoo European Championship in Dortmund on Sunday, defeating Michael Smith 11-8 in the final.

In his first TV final, Ross Smith produced an imperious display, averaging 101.32, hitting eight 180s and pinning 50 per cent of his double attempts.

Michael Smith also averaged over 100 and hit eight 180s in a high-quality final, but was never able to wrestle control away from his unrelenting rival.

Ross Smith, whose previous best run in a TV ranking event was a run to the quarter-finals of the 2019 UK Open, began the event as a rank outsider but blew the field apart with a string of stunning performances.

He had seen off Masters champion Joe Cullen in the first round and Dimitri Van den Bergh - the winner of two World Series events this year - to reach Sunday's final day of action.

He came from 8-3 down to defeat World Champion Peter Wright in the quarter-finals, and held off Chris Dobey 11-9 in the semi-finals before scooping the £120,000 top prize.

"I think I'm dreaming, I have to pinch myself," said the Kent ace. "It hasn't sunk in, it probably won't do for weeks. I've never even won a Euro Tour, never mind a TV tournament.

"I kept telling myself 'just play darts, don't put yourself under any pressure and just throw'.

"It's a real privilege to play darts on stages like this, in front of crowds like this. I love this game."

The underdog heading into the final, Ross Smith enjoyed a dream start as he raced into a 3-0 lead, hitting checkouts of 133 and 121.

US Darts Masters champion Michael Smith fought back to level at 3-3 before the 33-year-old regained the initiative at 4-3, a lead he never relinquished.

He took out 121 on the bullseye for a second time to make it 6-4, though he looked to have offered his opponent a way back into the contest when he missed three darts for an 8-4 lead, allowing the St Helens man to reduce the deficit to 7-5.

Michael Smith somehow found his way through to a seemingly blocked double five bed with his last dart in hand to once again pull within a leg at 8-7.

However, it was to be Ross Smith's night as the 33-year-old held his nerve, winning three of the next four legs to seal the biggest win of his life.

The £120,000 in prize money lifts Smith up to a career-high 20th on the PDC Order of Merit, and he also qualifies for next month's Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.

Meanwhile, Michael Smith suffered heartbreak for a sixth time in a TV ranking final - and a third time inside 12 months following his losses in the World Championship and UK Open deciders.

The world number four produced memorable wins over Josh Rock, Luke Humphries and Dirk van Duijvenbode to reach the final but was once again left wondering what might have been.

"Every time Ross was on a ton-plus finish he was pinning it, fair play to him - he did what he needed to do to win," the St Helens ace reflected.

"My scoring wasn't the best but I wasn't too upset with myself at how I played. It's starting to become annoying [losing TV ranking finals] but I'll get there eventually.

"I've just got to keep going, keep believing and keep doing what I'm doing. Maybe I will win the next one, or the one after that. We'll see."

Dobey followed up his run to the World Grand Prix quarter-finals recently by reaching the semis in Dortmund, while Van Duijvenbode was denied his spot in a third TV final of the year by Michael Smith in the semi-finals.