Mensur Suljovic's crowd incitement during his third-round match against Ross Smith at the Swiss Darts Trophy, and alleged sexist comments in his on-stage interview about the incident, have been referred to the Darts Regulation Authority.
The Austrian encouraged the crowd to boo the Englishman during a last-leg decider on Sunday afternoon. With Smith holding two match darts at double 18 with the match tied at 5-5, Suljovic gestured to the crowd to increase the volume of boos, prompting Smith to miss the target. Suljovic then nailed double 10 with his final dart to complete the checkout and seal victory.
In the interview that followed, Suljovic said of Smith: "Ross Smith is one of the best players in the world - what's the bloke complaining about?" He also said: "Women, women - they're always complaining, sorry." Smith later responded on X, saying: "I don't blame Mensur for me losing that game. I missed two match darts. Simple as that."
On Monday, Suljovic apologised. He said his emotions had got the better of him, that he had not properly realised Smith was throwing for the match, and that his comment about women was completely inappropriate. The PDC confirmed the matter had been referred to the Darts Regulation Authority and issued no further comment.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing