SCHINDLER COULD FACE WRIGHT IN AUSTRIAN OPEN TITLE DEFENCE

MARTIN SCHINDLER faces a potential blockbuster showdown with Peter Wright as he bids to successfully retain the Austrian Darts Open.

The world No.18 will return to the stage as one of the leading attractions at the year’s sixth European Tour event, with £35,000 on offer to the eventual winner across three days of action in Graz. 

Schindler has been handed a second-round tie against either two-time world champion Wright or a home nation qualifier.

Dutch heavyweights Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen are also among the headline acts. 

Friday’s opening round will feature 16 matches across two sessions, with former world champions Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld among the headline names in action. 

Smith faces veteran Ian White in one of the standout ties of the day, while Van Barneveld takes on Scottish star Alan Soutar. 

Elsewhere, Eight-time Euro Tour winner Dave Chisnall begins his latest title bid against Spain’s Cristo Reyes, while Dirk van Duijvenbode meets Latvia’s Madars Razma. 

Kim Huybrechts has been drawn against Czech number one Karel Sedlacek, as Kevin Doets and Chris Landman go head-to-head in an all-Holland clash. 

Doets arrives full of confidence after clinching the first ranking title of his PDC career earlier this week. 

The top 16 players on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder then enter the fray in round two on Saturday. 

Reigning European Champ Van Veen will open against either Van Duijvenbode or Razma, while Van Gerwen could face Polish ace Krzysztof Ratajski.

Josh Rock waits for the winner of Ricardo Pietreczko’s meeting with Patrik Kovacs, with James Wade potentially facing Cameron Menzies. 

Danny Noppert is set to face either Van Barneveld or Soutar, while Ryan Searle will definitely come up against Dutch opposition after the Doets-Landman pairing. 

Chris Dobey could run into either Sedlacek or Huybrechts as he looks to make another deep European Tour run. 

Former world champion Rob Cross joins the action in round two and will take on either William O’Connor or Swedish qualifier Anton Ostlund. 

Following the conclusion of round two, the last 16 return to the stage on Sunday afternoon, before the tournament reaches its climax with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session. 

Coverage will be broadcast on PDCTV (excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and through bookmakers’ worldwide. 

From the original list of entries, Jonny Clayton has withdrawn from the event, and has been replaced by Madars Razma from the Reserve List.

2026 Elten Safety Shoes Austrian Darts Open
Tournament Draw Bracket – Second Round Onwards
Players seeded based on PDC Ranking position
(6) Ryan Searle v Kevin Doets/Chris Landman
(11) Mike De Decker v Ryan Joyce/Gabriel Clemens
(3) James Wade v Cameron Menzies/HNQ4
(14) Luke Woodhouse v Joe Cullen/Rob Owen
(7) Chris Dobey v Karel Sedlacek/Kim Huybrechts
(10) Jermaine Wattimena v Andrew Gilding/HNQ1
(2) Michael van Gerwen v Krzysztof Ratajski/HNQ2
(15) Rob Cross v William O’Connor/Anton Ostlund
(5) Danny Noppert v Raymond van Barneveld/Alan Soutar
(12) Damon Heta v Dave Chisnall/Cristo Reyes
(4) Josh Rock v Ricardo Pietreczko/Patrik Kovacs
(13) Wessel Nijman v Niko Springer/Nick Kenny
(8) Ross Smith v Niels Zonneveld/James Hurrell
(9) Martin Schindler v Peter Wright/HNQ3
(1) Gian van Veen v Dirk van Duijvenbode/Madars Razma
(16) Daryl Gurney v Michael Smith/Ian White

Friday May 8
Round One
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Ryan Joyce v Gabriel Clemens
Ricardo Pietreczko v Patrik Kovacs
Niels Zonneveld v James Hurrell
Andrew Gilding v Host Nation Qualifier 1
William O’Connor v Anton Ostlund
Krzysztof Ratajski v Host Nation Qualifier 2
Niko Springer v Nick Kenny
Kevin Doets v Chris Landman

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Dave Chisnall v Cristo Reyes
Joe Cullen v Rob Owen
Karel Sedlacek v Kim Huybrechts
Peter Wright v Host Nation Qualifier 3
Raymond van Barneveld v Alan Soutar
Cameron Menzies v Host Nation Qualifier 4
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Madars Razma
Michael Smith v Ian White

Saturday May 9
Round Two
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Jermaine Wattimena v Gilding/HNQ1
Mike De Decker v Joyce/Clemens
Rob Cross v O’Connor/Ostlund
Ryan Searle v Doets/Landman
Ross Smith v Zonneveld/Hurrell
Damon Heta v Chisnall/Reyes
Luke Woodhouse v Cullen/Owen
Chris Dobey v Sedlacek/Huybrechts

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Daryl Gurney v M Smith/White
Josh Rock v Pietreczko/Kovacs
James Wade v Menzies/HNQ4
Michael van Gerwen v Ratajski/HNQ2
Danny Noppert v Van Barneveld/Soutar
Gian van Veen v Van Duijvenbode/Razma
Martin Schindler v Wright/HNQ3
Wessel Nijman v Springer/Kenny 

Sunday May 10
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Round Three

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final