Mensur Suljovic whipped up the crowd when Ross Smith was throwing for a match darts

Mensur Suljovic crossed a line with his gamesmanship against Ross Smith, says leading pundit Paul Nicholson

Darts

Mon October 12, 2026 · 2d ago

Mensur Suljovic "crossed a line" against Ross Smith and his actions have "no place in darts", according to leading pundit and commentator Paul Nicholson.

The Austrian, whose sportsmanship has also been called into question by the likes of Joe Cullen and Gary Anderson in previous years, whipped up the crowd during his last 16 tie at the Swiss Darts Trophy just when his opponent was throwing match darts in a last-leg decider.

Smith subsequently missed two attempts at double 18 as Suljovic clenched his fist in celebration before clinching a 6-5 victory.

After the match, Smith took to social media to brand Suljovic a 'helmet' and although he didn't blame his opponent for losing the match, the incident has damaged the Gentle's reputation.

Mensur egging on the crowd to boo Ross Smith while he's on a match winning double is seriously piss poor behaviour. pic.twitter.com/q4KEodnNnu
— DartsAnonymous (@DartsAnonymous) October 11, 2026

Nicholson told Sporting Life: "One thing that was nice to see was Mensur playing some great darts in Switzerland over the weekend, but that’s been completely overshadowed by his conduct in the Ross Smith game and his overall pace of play in the event.

"We shouldn’t be too shocked by the speed of his play, it’s been a thing for years. However, when your opponent is on a match dart and you are deliberately encouraging behaviours that might cause someone to miss, that’s crossing a line.

"It’s irrefutable and there’s no excuse for it. If you are trying to influence the outcome of a match when you are not at the oche, what else are we supposed to think? Ross Smith was oblivious to the acts occurring behind him, but that doesn’t excuse it.

"Professionals in this era are accountable for their actions and are also role models for young players coming through. These actions are something we should actively discourage from this sport because if we don’t, all hell could break loose with the etiquette of our sport."

Suljovic, who went on to reach the semi-finals before bowing out to eventual runner-up Luke Humphries, was later questioned about his actions by the tournament's master of ceremonies Philip Brzezinski, who also conducts post-match interviews on stage.

Mensur Suljovic's explanation for getting the crowd involved on Ross Smith's match darts is v poor - and credit to interviewer Philip Brzezinski for putting him in his place after.

"I don't agree with you. The timing wasn't right. That was too much." 👏 pic.twitter.com/R7cCvpjNSA
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) October 12, 2026

The Austrian said: "Look, Ross Smith is one of the best players in the world. What is the guy complaining about? He has to play his game, otherwise he can go straight home. Women complain, sorry. You don’t do that.

“Okay, I got the crowd going a little, just like in Germany. I need the support. I can’t do anything without you. Thank you!

“What is he complaining about? When I’m in England, everyone is against me. Everywhere, they’re against me. Now he suddenly complains? He should just stay at home."

Brzezinski replied: "Mensur, we've known each other for a long time and we really like each other but to be perfectly honest I don't agree with you on that.

I dont blame Mensur for me losing that game. I missed 2 match darts. Simple as that. Obviously its impossible for me to no what hes doing behind my back when im throwing apart from the the crowds response. If he wants to be an absolute helmet thats on him #karma will come around
— Ross Smith (@RossSmith180) October 11, 2026

"It's OK to get the audience a little carried away but I thought the timing this afternoon - right when Ross Smith was throwing for the match - wasn't right. That was too much."

Nicholson hailed the response of Brzezinski, adding: "If people like Phillip Brzezinski are willing to call players out on things like this in interviews, we should too because there is no place in darts for encouraging this.

"We’ve seen players like James Wade, Michael Smith and others actively discourage this kind of fan interaction in a sporting manner, so to see the opposite is a step backwards and it’s unacceptable."

Paul Nicholson writes regular columns for Sporting Life Darts and his latest piece is about ranking the top five players in darts history based purely on longevity. Click on the image below to read it.

Suljovic apologises

Suljovic has now realised the errors of his ways and issued an apology on his Instagram account.

He wrote: "I would like to comment once again on my match against Ross Smith and the interview that followed.

"The emotions got the better of me in that moment. I wanted to get the crowd behind me and, in doing so, I didn't properly realise that Ross was throwing for the match.

"Looking back, I understand that the timing was unfortunate and was perceived as unfair. I would like to apologise to Ross for that.

"Ross is, in my opinion, one of the best darts players in the world, and I have great respect for him and his achievements.

"My comment about women during the interview was also completely inappropriate. I should never have said something like that. I would like to sincerely apologise to all women for those remarks.

"Darts thrives on emotion, but fairness and respect are just as important. Yesterday, I let my emotions get the better of me.

"I'm sorry for that."

Suljovic, however, still faces punishment after the PDC confirmed "the matter on stage and interview has now been referred to the Darts Regulation Authority".