Saturday night there was this game between James Wade and Jermaine Wattimena and people can’t stop talking about what happened after the game. When the Dutchman won the game he celebrated this big time and The Machine didn’t shake hands with him. At first. Look what happened between the two of them in the footage below.
WATTIMENA STEALS IT ON THE BULLSEYE 🤯
It's incredible from Jermaine Wattimena as he beats James Wade in a last leg decider to reach the Quarter-Finals.
He wins 10-9 in a thriller in Dortmund!
📺 https://t.co/S1EAMLfyjD #ECDarts24 | R2 pic.twitter.com/lmmipX24Hr
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 26, 2024
Fans and viewers are taking to social media to discuss what they consider unsportsmanlike behavior from “The Machine,” while others have their own perspectives. It’s definitely a much-discussed moment, with debates still ongoing the following day.
For James Wade, things looked very different just two legs earlier when he had a shot at a 9-darter. He came extremely close to the perfect leg but narrowly missed the double 12, with the score tied at 8-8, where 10 winning legs would secure a spot in the next round.
SO CLOSE TO A NINE-DARTER FROM WADE 🤯😩
James Wade wires D12 for a stunning nine-darter against Jermaine Wattimena.
What a moment that would have been!
📺 https://t.co/S1EAMLfyjD #ECDarts24 | R2 pic.twitter.com/7dHtWoTuLP
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 26, 2024
While Wattimena might not have received full respect from his opponent afterward, he did make it to the next day, which is likely his main priority. The other Dutchman playing on Saturday evening couldn’t say the same.
Michael van Gerwen had to concede to Gary Anderson and was eliminated, with his average of 96.91 not enough to challenge the Scotsman. Already, several big names have been knocked out, as earlier in the weekend, Andrew Gilding ousted Luke Littler from the tournament.
On Saturday night, Gilding himself exited as Ricardo Pietreczko defeated him 10-3 in the final match of the evening.
Michael van Gerwen is Furious: “The PDC Can Kiss My ####”
The battle for the title continues on Sunday, and despite Michael van Gerwen’s exit, three Dutch players remain in the tournament. Dirk van Duijvenbode will open the afternoon against Luke Woodhouse, followed by Ritchie Edhouse and Gary Anderson taking the stage.
Then, it’s up to Jermaine Wattimena to see if he can repeat his upset against James Wade when he faces Luke Humphries, while Danny Noppert will take on Ricardo Pietreczko for a spot in the semifinals.