Ross Smith Captures Second European Championship Darts Crown With 11-8 Victory Over Martin Schindler

Ross Smith captured his second European Championship darts title with a hard-fought 11-8 victory over Martin Schindler in Dortmund on Sunday. The Englishman survived a spirited late comeback from the home favorite to claim the £150,000 top prize and secure his third career televised major.[1][3][4]

The victory at the Westfalenhalle marked a return to the site of Smith's breakthrough triumph, where he won his maiden major title four years ago. The 37-year-old delivered when it mattered most, silencing a raucous crowd that desperately wanted a local champion.[1][3]

The best-of-21 final began tightly, with the opening four legs going with throw as both players settled into the occasion. Smith quickly found his scoring rhythm, punishing Schindler's missed opportunities to reel off six consecutive legs and establish a commanding 8-2 advantage.[1][3]

Schindler, bidding to become the first German player to win an individual televised Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) major, refused to fold. The home favorite thrilled the passionate crowd by winning four straight legs, highlighted by spectacular checkouts of 116 and 127, to cut the deficit to 9-6.[1][3]

"To have this trophy in my hands and to win another major, I'm absolutely over the moon," Smith said following the match. "I was a little bit nervous going into that last break. Martin wouldn't let up would he? Full credit to him."[1]

Despite the mounting pressure and the crowd's renewed volume, Smith steadied himself with a crucial hold of throw. Schindler closed the gap to 9-7, but Smith eventually pinned double five with his fifth match dart to seal the victory, finishing with a 92.92 average.[1][3]

The triumph caps a stellar autumn for Smith, who also won the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam in September. He maintained his composure through a grueling Sunday schedule to secure his second major trophy of the season.[1][3][4]

Schindler's landmark run to the final included a hard-fought 11-6 semi-final victory over Krzysztof Ratajski. The German number one held off a late surge from the Polish star to book his place in the evening's showpiece.[3]

Ratajski had earlier produced the shock of the tournament by eliminating teenage sensation Luke Littler in the quarter-finals. Littler's unexpected exit shifted the dynamic of the final day, opening the draw for the remaining contenders.[2][3]

The runner-up finish marked a historic milestone for the nation's growing darts scene, as Schindler became the first German player to reach an individual televised PDC major final. His performance throughout the weekend cemented his status as Germany's top-ranked player.[3]

Smith's latest success lifts him eight places to a career-high world number six. He joins Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, Rob Cross, and Peter Wright as the only multiple-time winners of the European Championship since the tournament's inception.[1][3]