Tournament outsider Ritchie Edhouse secured a maiden major title at the European Championship in Dortmund courtesy of an 11-3 rout of Jermaine Wattimena in the final.
Edhouse stormed to his maiden televised title with a crushing 11-3 victory over Jermaine Wattimena.
He fulfilled his darting dreams on an extraordinary day of action in Dortmund, as the two lowest-ranked players in the tournament went head-to-head in a remarkable final.
However, it was Basildon-born Edhouse who clinched the £120,000 top prize, as he reeled off nine consecutive legs to dispatch Wattimena and cap off a famous weekend at the Westfalenhalle.
“This is unbelievable,” reflected ‘Madhouse’ Edhouse, who had not progressed beyond the last 32 of a televised event prior to his arrival in Dortmund.
“I just wanted to get a couple of wins under my belt and see what happened, so this is a dream come true.
“I think this could be a stepping stone for me, because confidence breeds confidence, and now I am really confident and hungry for more!”
Edhouse took centre stage in the first and last match of this year’s European Championship, having kicked off the tournament with a stunning 109.48 average in his 6-1 demolition of Gian van Veen.
He also overturned a 4-1 deficit to stun world No 2 Michael Smith in Saturday’s second round, before averaging almost 104 to complete a famous 10-5 win over Gary Anderson in the last eight.
The 41-year-old continued his groundbreaking run with an 11-5 victory against Luke Woodhouse in the semi-finals, and he wasn’t to be denied against another surprise finalist in Wattimena.
The Dutchman made a bright start to Sunday’s showpiece, but his doubling unravelled midway through the match, with Edhouse reeling off nine consecutive legs to take the title.
Wattimena led Edhouse 3-2 at the first interval, defying back-to-back 76 and 110 combinations from the Englishman to seize the early initiative.
Edhouse refused to look back from there, however, punishing a multitude of missed opportunities at double from Wattimena to prevail in resounding fashion.
Having powered in a 106 checkout to lead 5-3, Edhouse took out 92 and 144 to move to the cusp of glory, which he sealed with another 92 checkout, pinning a brace of double 18s to seal it in style.
Edhouse now moves into the world’s top 32 for the first time, climbing 10 places to a career-high of 29th on the PDC Order of Merit, while also securing Grand Slam of Darts qualification in the process.
Wattimena also sealed his place in Wolverhampton with a sensational run to the final, having dumped out four major winners to pocket the £60,000 runner-up prize.
The 36-year-old had begun his campaign with a whitewash win over reigning champion Peter Wright on Friday, before accounting for 2018 winner James Wade in a deciding-leg thriller in round two.
Wattimena then produced arguably the performance of his career in his quarter-final victory over world No 1 Luke Humphries, averaging over a ton to romp home by a 10-4 scoreline.
This set up an all-Dutch semi-final showdown against Danny Noppert, and Wattimena held his nerve to sink the former UK Open champion in another gripping last-leg shoot-out.
“I’m really happy to reach the final,” said Wattimena, who was full of praise for Edhouse post-match.
“I lost to the better player in Ritchie. On the stage we are enemies, but after the match we’re good friends. I’ve known him for a long time, so congratulations to Ritchie.
“This is a huge moment in my career, but there is going to be more. I’m proud of what I have done this weekend.”
2024 Machineseeker European Championship
Sunday October 27
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Luke Woodhouse 10-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ritchie Edhouse 10-5 Gary Anderson
Jermaine Wattimena 10-4 Luke Humphries
Danny Noppert 10-9 Ricardo Pietreczko
Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Ritchie Edhouse 11-5 Luke Woodhouse
Jermaine Wattimena 11-10 Danny Noppert
Final
Ritchie Edhouse 11-3 Jermaine Wattimena
What live darts is next on Sky Sports?
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Attention then turns to the turn of the year and the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, beginning on December 15, as the darts calendar continues to provide excitement throughout the year – and you can enjoy the very best here live on Sky Sports.
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