Krzysztof Ratajski gave the locals exactly what they came for – a win, a cheer, and a huge dollop of hope for home success – as he brushed past Jonny Clayton 6-3 on Friday night in Gliwice, kicking off his 2025 Superbet Poland Darts Masters campaign in style.
The first-round draw had all the makings of shocks and surprises, with eight PDC heavyweights lining up against eight East European hopefuls. Seven fell.
Ratajski was the sole one who didn’t.
The man affectionately known as The Polish Eagle proved once again that he’s the nation’s top dog, landing six doubles from just eight attempts and averaging over a ton to send fans in the PreZero Arena into raptures.Clayton, to his credit, fired in legs of 12, 12, and 11 darts – which would normally terrify most – but Ratajski simply didn’t blink.
From 3-3, the local lad (that is if you count 254km as local) rattled off three straight legs, lifted the roof off the building, and left the Welshman wondering if Ryanair would let him change his flight home.
Elsewhere, reigning champion Luke Littler – a teenager with the composure of an arrow-smith way beyond his years – edged past Karel Sedlacek 6-4 in a match that was equal parts fireworks and chess.Deadlocked at 3-3, Littler suddenly went into full on Nuke mode: 101 here, 120 there, and a lovely 76 on tops to end things before Sedlacek could mount a comeback. Six 180s, a 97 average, and another step closer to back-to-back titles for the boy from Warrington. Just another day at the office.
After the match, the World Champion praised his Czech Republic opponent:
“Karel is a top player and he pushed me all the way tonight. Early on I missed a few opportunities at tops and double ten, so I decided to switch it up and go for double 16 and double eight, and it worked! I just tried to play my game, and I’m sure it will be a great atmosphere in here tomorrow.”
Littler’s next test? Nathan Aspinall. After beating his stable-mate in both Copenhagen and New York, The Asp will be eyeing the hat-trick in Gliwice, having just scraped past Radek Szaganski 6-4.
Chris Dobey, meanwhile, decided to warm up by dismantling Gyorgy Jehirszki like a flat-pack wardrobe without the instructions. The Bedlington man averaged just shy of 101 and landed checkouts of 167, 170, and 110 en route to a ruthless 6-1 win. We shouldn’t be surprised – it’s what the Geordie does on a regular basis. Hollywood’s reward is a date with Gerwyn Price, who spent much of his 6-3 victory over Sebastian Bialecki battling more with the outer ring than his opponent. Still, he got the job done, and that’s what counts.
Rob Cross is also safely into the business end of the tournament, beating Krzysztof Kciuk 6-2. The 2024 runner-up didn’t exactly sparkle, but after his shock whitewash in New York at the hands of Danny Lauby, any kind of victory was much needed. Thumbs up for Voltage. Thumb out in Gliwice.Cross now faces Michael van Gerwen, who saw off Croatian, Pero Ljubic 6-4 in a match that can best be described as functional.
The Black (with flashes of green) Machine looked more relieved than thrilled, which may say more than the scoreline.
Stephen Bunting – top seed and man on a mission – eased past Tytus Kanik 6-3 to get his quest for a second World Series title up and running. The win sets up a clash with Ratajski that could light up Saturday’s session, or completely derail the local beer supply. Possibly both.
And so, with the opening carnage complete, just eight players remain in the hunt for the £30,000 top prize, with all the real business saved for Saturday – a bumper evening of quarter-finals, semi-finals, and one last man standing.
First Round Results:
Chris Dobey 6-1 Gyorgy Jehirszki
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Sebastian Bialecki
Rob Cross 6-2 Krzysztof Kciuk
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Pero Ljubic
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Tytus Kanik
Luke Littler 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Radek Szaganski
Quarter-Finals:Stephen Bunting v Krzysztof Ratajski
Nathan Aspinall v Luke Littler
Gerwyn Price v Chris Dobey
Rob Cross v Michael van Gerwen
(Best of 11 legs)
—–Ends—–
Images: Simon O’Connor/PDC
