World Darts Championship: Suljovic Denies Provoking Cullen with Slow Play

Details

Mensur Suljovic, the 20th seed at the World Darts Championship, has denied intentionally provoking his opponent Joe Cullen with slow play during their second-round match at Alexandra Palace. Cullen was left frustrated by Suljovic’s on-stage behavior and slow pace, which he described as “cheating” and “not darts.”
Suljovic came from a set down to claim a 3-1 victory over Cullen, with referee Kirk Bevans forced to intervene due to the Austrian’s slow play. Cullen was unhappy with the length of time Suljovic took to recover his darts and celebrate his wins.
In a press conference after the match, Suljovic responded to accusations of deliberately playing slow against Cullen, stating that his behavior was not intended to provoke his opponent. “I never, ever do this as a provocation,” Suljovic said. “I do it only for my game. I like my game – I never do it to be a villain. Sorry Joe, I never do this – I love you man.”
Cullen had taken to social media immediately after the match to express his frustration, saying: “If that’s darts, I don’t want no part of it! Always liked Mensur away from the board but that was plain for all to see! I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way. The old guard will say it’s part of the game but word it how you will – it’s CHEATING! That’s not darts.”
Former Premier League champion Glen Durrant defended Suljovic’s actions, stating that he did not break any rules and used “gamesmanship” to defeat Cullen. “You know what Mensur Suljovic is going to do and we try to portray that on the commentary as well,” Durrant said. “He can go from being very slow to playing very quickly and maybe he saw a chink in the armour of Joe Cullen.”
Two-time world champion John Part added: “I can absolutely see why he [Cullen] was frustrated, yes, and I’ve felt that way many times playing against slow players. The bottom line is you can either cope or you can’t cope, and good players cope.”

Reaction

Cullen’s frustration was evident throughout the match, with the Englishman stopping to give Suljovic a hard stare as he left the stage. Suljovic’s manager made no comment to Sky Sports News regarding Cullen’s social media post.

Next Steps

Suljovic will now move on to the third round of the World Darts Championship for the sixth time, where he will face a new opponent. The tournament will continue until January 3, 2026, at Alexandra Palace in London.

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