Ratajski Ignites Polish Crowd as Quarter-Final Line-Up Confirmed in Gliwice at the 2025 Poland Darts Masters
Ratajski Ignites Polish Crowd as Quarter-Final Line-Up Confirmed in Gliwice at the 2025 Poland Darts Masters
Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski brought the house down in Gliwice on Friday night with a stellar performance that saw him defeat Jonny Clayton 6-3 and move into the quarter-finals of the 2025 Superbet Poland Darts Masters.
Ratajski, playing on home soil at the PreZero Arena, rose to the occasion with a composed and clinical display. The Polish number one averaged over 100 and nailed six of eight darts at double to earn one of the biggest cheers of the night.
Despite Clayton putting together a trio of superb legs in 12, 12, and 11 darts, he couldn’t stem the tide once the match hit 3-3. Ratajski reeled off the final three legs without reply, sending the Polish crowd into a frenzy and ensuring Eastern Europe would have one representative on Finals Day.
“It’s always special playing in front of a Polish crowd,” Ratajski said after the win. “Jonny is a great player, but I knew I had the form to beat him. I’m happy with how I finished, and now I’m excited for Saturday.”
The opening night of the tournament featured eight PDC stars matched up against eight East European qualifiers. While Ratajski emerged as the region’s sole survivor, there were standout performances throughout the evening.
Reigning champion Luke Littler got his title defence off to a winning start in a high-quality clash against Karel Sedláček. The teenage sensation edged a closely fought contest 6-4, thanks to a string of timely checkouts and heavy scoring.
Level after six legs, Littler pulled clear with a 101 finish followed by a 120 combination before sealing the win with a 76 on tops. The World Champion averaged 97 and registered six 180s to reach the last eight.
“Karel was excellent tonight,” Littler admitted. “I had to dig deep and make some changes with my finishing. Switching to double 16 helped and once I found my rhythm, I felt good.”
Nathan Aspinall awaits Littler in the quarter-finals, having edged past Radek Szaganski 6-4. The Stockport thrower had to fend off a spirited fightback from the Polish number two but held firm to secure his spot. Aspinall has already beaten Littler twice this year on the World Series circuit and will look to make it three in a row.
Another impressive performer on Friday was Chris Dobey, who powered past Hungarian qualifier Gyorgy Jehirszki 6-1 in the opening match. Dobey’s finishing was world-class, taking out 167, 170, and 110 en route to a 100.9 average.
Dobey will now take on Gerwyn Price, who overcame Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki 6-3 despite some struggles with his doubles. Price never looked in serious danger, but will need to tighten up if he’s to go deeper in the tournament.
Rob Cross bounced back from a tough week in New York by comfortably dispatching Krzysztof Kciuk 6-2. The former world champion now prepares for a high-profile quarter-final meeting with Michael van Gerwen.
Van Gerwen’s opening match against Croatian debutant Pero Ljubic was anything but smooth, but the Dutch ace showed his resilience to grind out a 6-4 victory. The 2023 Poland Darts Masters winner will now look to rediscover the dominant form that won him the inaugural title.
Meanwhile, top seed Stephen Bunting booked his place in the last eight with a 6-3 win over Poland’s Tytus Kanik. Bunting has already lifted World Series titles in Bahrain and Copenhagen this year and will face the home favourite Ratajski in what promises to be one of Saturday’s standout encounters.
Saturday Night Quarter-Final Line-Up
- Stephen Bunting vs Krzysztof Ratajski
- Nathan Aspinall vs Luke Littler
- Gerwyn Price vs Chris Dobey
- Rob Cross vs Michael van Gerwen
With the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final all set to unfold in a single blockbuster session on Saturday, fans in Gliwice can expect an electrifying evening as the remaining eight stars battle it out for the £30,000 top prize and the 2025 Superbet Poland Darts Masters crown.
Ratajski Ignites Polish Crowd as Quarter-Final Line-Up Confirmed in Gliwice at the 2025 Poland Darts Masters
Friday July 4
First Round
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
Saturday July 5 (1900 CEST, 1800 BST)
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
Semi-Finals
Bunting/Ratajski v Aspinall/Littler
Price/Dobey v Cross/Van Gerwen
Best of 13 legs
Final
v
Best of 15 legs
