Luke Woodhouse was cruising towards victory at the Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel, but an unexpected PA system error forced him and opponent Andrew Gilding off the stage. Woodhouse was down to 260 on the Gilding throw and, even if he didn't seal the leg, would have thrown for a 6-3 win next time out. However, just as Gilding took to the oche for his next throw, the players were removed from the stage.
The venue's PA system began making an announcement in error, which at first, given it was in German, could have been mistaken for a fire alarm. Referee Owen Binks promptly removed the players from the stage while the issue was being resolved. The match was halted after an announcement came up on the speaker, with all officials and players going off stage, as reported by DartsCentral on social media.
While the incident is not anything more serious, it is less than ideal for Woodhouse in particular. Akin to a rain delay in tennis and returning the following day, he now has to get himself into the zone to finish the job and avoid a comeback from Gilding.
