Krzysztof Ratajski pulled off a huge upset on Sunday afternoon at the European Championship, defeating tournament favourite Luke Littler 10-6 in the quarter-finals to reach the semi-finals of the event for the first time in his career. 'The Polish Eagle' could hardly contain his joy afterwards.
For Ratajski, the win meant far more than a place in the last four. He had lost every previous meeting with Littler and was especially relieved to finally beat the world number one. "I played him many times, always lost. He beat me many times. Today is a big day for me. He's the biggest name in darts at this moment, so it's a big achievement," said Ratajski afterwards.
For a long time, Ratajski looked set for a comfortable win. The Pole opened up a 7-1 lead and later moved 8-2 ahead, but then Littler began an impressive comeback. The reigning world champion won four legs in a row to cut the deficit to 8-6, but Ratajski struck at the right moment to stop the match from swinging completely in Littler's favour. "He won three or four legs in a row but then I took my chance when he missed double seven," Ratajski said.
The Pole eventually secured a 10-6 victory, claiming not only a memorable win over Littler but also a new milestone at the European Darts Championship. "It's my biggest achievement in the European Championship, now I'm in the semi-finals - it's great."
Ratajski will face Germany's Martin Schindler in the semi-finals. Schindler thrashed Jonny Clayton 10-1 in his quarter-final.
