CLEMENS MAJOR WOES CONTINUE
13/09/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
MARK WEBSTER admits Gabriel Clemens has “really regressed” at the oche as the German star suffered another early exit at a major.
World No. 40 Clemens crashed out in the first round of the World Series Finals after falling 6-3 to Mike De Decker and landing only three doubles from 14 attempts in the bout.
‘The German Giant’ reached the semi-finals of both the World Championship and Players Championship Finals in 2023 but he hasn’t made a quarter-final at a TV event since.
Former pro Webster reckons Clemens struggled to handle the pressure on the big stage since his breakout season.
He said: “We were expecting big things, but he has really regressed. He is a top-quality performer.
“When he made the semi-final of the World Championship, the coverage he was getting in Germany… they were talking about putting him in the Premier League that year.
“It was maybe the weight of expectation on his shoulders that he did not deal with very well.
“We have talked about the drop off, but he has done a lot of good things.
“He’s made a ProTour final and had match darts for the victory —who knows, if he won that maybe he would have turned into a serial winner.”
Commentator Ned Boulting added: “Going back to the point you were making about the next big German star.
“When someone eventually steps up and really competes in world darts with the German flag alongside their name, the stage is set for them to make a lot of money.
“This is a country Germany that is crying out for a home-grown star.”
Clemens featured in only one Euro Tour event this year at the European Grand Prix after failing to qualify for all other tournaments.
But the 42-year-old was knocked out at the first hurdle after losing 6-5 to Andrew Gilding in Sindelfingen.
