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Jermaine Wattimena retracts ‘cheater’ comments after Mensur Suljovic loss at World Matchplay


Mensur Suljovic seemed to annoy Jermaine Wattimena in their World Matchplay clash (Picture: Getty Images)

Jermaine Wattimena has apologised for his comments after labeling Mensur Suljovic a ‘cheater’ following their first round match at the World Matchplay on Sunday.

Suljovic walloped Wattimena 10-1 on the Winter Gardens stage to set up a second round clash with James Wade, and the Dutchman was far from happy afterwards.

The Machine Gun did not specify his complaints, but made his feeling clear, telling RTL 7: ‘Darts is not like it was in the past, it’s not a fair game anymore.

‘I want to recall Joe Cullen’s comments. You need to win fair matches on merit. If you want to win like this, then that’s your choice. Suljovic is a cheater.’

The world number 22 has been quick to retract these comments, though, and has apologised for the outburst.

‘Firstly I want to apology to Mensur,’ Jermaine wrote in a statement. ‘I know him and he is a good player without bad intentions.

‘He demolished me and it just didn’t click for me. I was carried away by too many emotions and frustrations in my interview with RTL 7. I shouldn’t have done that.

‘I want to wish Mensur all the best for the second round at the World Matchplay.’

The comments from Cullen which Wattimena refers to were made in May, when the Yorkshireman decried an increase in gamesmanship in darts.

‘I was a victim the other week,” Cullen told Live Darts in May. ‘The way I see it, you can call it gamesmanship or whatever you want, but in my eyes it’s cheating.

‘I’ve never ever been called a cheat in my life and there was an incident the other week, I won’t mention names or what went on, but you can tell the reaction from somebody if somebody gets called out on stage, you can tell by their reaction whether it’s true what the other player is saying.

‘My reaction was “I’m not having it – I’m not a cheat.” There’s a lot goes on that a lot of people don’t see, there are people who are very heavy-footed on stage, but it is what it is.

‘People say “get on with it, it’s old school” but to me it’s as good as pushing me in the back while I’m trying to throw a dart – it’s cheating.

‘I genuinely think it’s sad, I honestly do.’

Suljovic seemed confused over Wattimena’s complaints after his crushing victory, saying that his opponent’s complaints are not his problem.

‘Wattimena is a very nice player, but at one moment brilliant, but tonight not good,’ Suljovic told Live Darts.

‘Talking every time, me talking with him, this is not my problem, it’s his problem.

‘Jermaine is my friend, is everything okay? It’s a problem with me, I don’t know what his problem is.

‘Is everything okay? It is really not my problem, it’s his problem. He’s a brilliant player.’

Suljovic plays Wade in the second round at the World Matchplay on Tuesday evening in Blackpool.

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