Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski and Sebastian Bialecki made a winning start to their World Cup of Darts campaign in Frankfurt, defeating Switzerland 4-2 to advance through Group E. Tipped by some as an outside shout for the title, the Polish pair now face Republic of Ireland later today in a session where Wales and Scotland are the leading lights, aiming to progress to Sunday’s final day.
“It was a goal for us. It was a very close match, very nervous and very hard, but we won and that’s the most important thing,” said Ratajski to the media. The team is full of confidence, particularly after Bialecki’s recent success on the Development Tour, where he won three tournaments in a row. “That Development Tour weekend was great for me. Before it started, I didn’t expect that I could win three tournaments in a row,” Bialecki said. “After that tournament, when I saw the results and the level I played in all the matches, I got a lot of confidence in my game. Of course, it’s different playing on the ProTour or Development Tour compared to playing on stage, but the experience I’ve gained over the last few years is important and it probably helped me today.”
Ratajski acknowledged the dark horse tag, saying both players are in good form. “Of course. We are both in good form right now. Sebastian has won many Development Tour tournaments and many matches, and I’ve been playing well on the ProTour. I think we can play much better than we showed today, so expect tomorrow will be much better.” Bialecki described a potential World Cup triumph as the “biggest dream.” “In Poland’s history, we’ve never been in the last eight of this tournament. Now we’re in the last 16, and the best possible achievement would be to win the tournament and lift the trophy. It would be an incredible moment.”
Ratajski highlighted the growth of darts in Poland: “It’s still growing in Poland. It’s much more popular than it was two years ago. Now there are many places where you can play tournaments every day of the week. Academies for young players are starting as well, so darts is really growing in Poland.” Bialecki, the younger of the two, reflected on the full-circle moment of playing alongside his idol. “It’s great fun. From the beginning, when I started playing darts, it was a dream to play with Krzysztof. Now we’re playing together and it’s amazing.” Ratajski added: “It was many years ago when we first met. I don’t think either of us imagined, 10 or more years ago, that we would one day be playing together for Poland. Now we’re playing together, so it’s really great. It’s a good generation of Polish darts players.”
The duo also discussed the challenge of playing pairs, with Bialecki noting: “It’s definitely different from playing singles matches because you spend a lot more time waiting between visits. In singles, you only wait for one player to throw before it’s your turn. Here, sometimes you have to wait for three players to throw before you step up again. As for preparation, it’s difficult because most of the time Krzysztof and I are playing ProTour or Development Tour events as individuals, so it’s hard to prepare specifically for team events. But in Poland we sometimes play pairs tournaments as well, so it’s not completely new for me. I enjoy it and it’s great.”