Martin Schindler has reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship for the first time in his career, and the German believes a dramatic shift in expectations is behind his surprise run in Dortmund. Schindler only secured his place at the tournament at the last possible moment, finishing 31st in the European Tour Order of Merit, but two wins later he finds himself in the last eight.
The contrast with previous years could hardly be starker. As the top seed in 2024, Schindler was knocked out in the first round. A year later, 'The Wall' returned as the second seed, but his campaign again ended in round two. This time, with far lower expectations, the tide has turned. After a dramatic 6-5 opening-round win over Wessel Nijman, Schindler beat Jermaine Wattimena on Friday evening to set up a finals day appearance in front of his home crowd.
Speaking at the subsequent press conference, including in comments to Dartsnews (YouTube), Schindler was candid about the change in mindset. "Compared with the last few years, there was definitely less pressure this time. I simply put less pressure on myself as well," he said. "From the outside, it's easy to say, 'Number one on the European Tour, number two on the European Tour,' and naturally people want to see something to match that. But this game just isn't that simple." He added: "Two years ago, I went out in the first round as the number one, against van Duijvenbode. And now I'm here as number 31. I'm happy just to be here, and now I'm in the last eight. The game is crazy sometimes. I think that's just how it works."
Despite the milestone, Schindler remained remarkably self-critical. "It doesn't feel like a convincing win, in terms of my game," he said of the Wattimena match. "Jermaine was definitely below his level today. For what we've seen from him this year, I just don't think he played well. I wasn't good either, but I took those chances when I had to, and I benefited a little from his mistakes. I'm still pleased to have won, though." He acknowledged he could have lost either match: "Those weren't performances where I'd say, 'You'll win your matches easily playing like that.' Both Wessel and Jermaine were below their level. Maybe the situation got to them a bit. I don't know. I had to win those matches. And I'm pleased that I did."
Looking ahead, Schindler faces a potential quarter-final against Jonny Clayton, provided Clayton first gets past Josh Rock. "I do think it's easier when you play someone you've faced several times before," Schindler said. "We've had the pleasure of playing each other a few times." But he is not looking past the last eight: "They can sort it out between themselves first. I really don't care about anything else right now. Tomorrow is a new day. The start time is also very different tomorrow. So, we'll see." Reflecting on the impact of the weekend, he added: "I think, overall, they have had a positive impact. I'm really pleased these matches have gone my way. But honestly, right now I really don't care about anything else. I'm looking ahead."
