Austria v China (World Cup of Darts): odds and bets 11.06.2026

Group I kicks off with a clash that pits the experience of the old European guard against the enigma of the Asian giant. Austria returns to the World Cup with its historic and most recognisable pairing: the evergreen Mensur Suljović and the youngest of the dynasty, Rusty-Jake Rodriguez. Suljović is a living legend of the sport; his unorthodox throwing style, full of pauses, gestures and a brutal competitive mindset, makes him the ideal captain for doubles matches. He knows exactly how to support Rusty-Jake, a player with tremendous natural talent but who sometimes suffers from lapses in concentration if he misses two doubles in a row. The chemistry between the pair has been thoroughly tested after years of sharing the world’s biggest stages.

China, for its part, is renewing its hopes with the inclusion of Qingyu Zhan and the experience of Xiaochen Zong. Zong is by far the best player on the Chinese circuit, having competed in the PDC World Championship on several occasions and demonstrated his ability to compete at high scoring rates in floor tournaments. The big question mark for the Asian side hangs over Qingyu Zhan, a complete newcomer to international competition, whose response to the pressure of the Frankfurt stage is a total unknown. In such a short match, any sign of weakness with the approach darts will destroy Zong’s efforts.

Austria’s strategy will be clear: to slow the match down through Suljović’s measured pace, in order to frustrate the young Chinese players and force unforced errors. Mensur’s reliability on the double 14 and double 16 will provide the Austrians with a huge safety net in every leg. We expect the collective experience of the European side to tip the balance comfortably in their favour, allowing them to cover the -1.5-leg handicap without too many scares in the final score.