Martin Schindler kept his title defence firmly on track at the Swiss Darts Trophy, setting up a blockbuster Finals Day clash against Jonny Clayton after a composed opening win in Basel. The reigning champion overcame his World Cup partner Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2, landing six of his eight attempts at double to signal his intent for back-to-back triumphs at St. Jakobshalle.

Schindler now faces Clayton in round three, after the Welshman produced a scintillating display to defeat Nathan Aspinall 6-4. Clayton averaged close to 106 and fired in three outstanding 11-darters to underline his credentials as a serious contender.

Saturday’s action at the penultimate European Tour event of the year proved dramatic, with six seeds exiting the tournament as qualification battles intensified for the World Grand Prix and European Championship. Luke Woodhouse delivered one of the performances of the day, producing a career-best display to dispatch Dave Chisnall 6-2 with a remarkable 110.69 average, complemented by 121 and 160 checkouts.

Jermaine Wattimena matched that brilliance with a commanding 6-1 win over Josh Rock, averaging 107.35 to eliminate the recent European Tour runner-up. Chisnall’s defeat leaves his World Grand Prix hopes in jeopardy, while Krzysztof Ratajski secured his place in the prestigious double-start event after surviving three match darts in a deciding-leg win over Mike De Decker.

Elsewhere, Stephen Bunting surged past Chris Landman, world number one Luke Humphries impressed with a clinical win over Callan Rydz, and Raymond van Barneveld kept his qualification hopes alive with a dramatic victory over Damon Heta. With Finals Day looming, high-stakes clashes and qualification drama promise a thrilling conclusion to the Swiss Darts Trophy.

Source: PDC.TV