‘Absolute helmet’ – Darts star Ross Smith fumes at rival Mensur Suljovic over ‘CHEATING’ behind his back

Ross Smith has hit out at Mensur Suljovic following a controversial defeat at the Swiss Darts Trophy, branding the Austrian an “absolute helmet” over his alleged conduct during their third-round encounter.

The world No.15 was left frustrated after Suljovic, 54, appeared to encourage the crowd while throwing for the match in their dramatic clash.

Smith, 37, looked to be in control after establishing a 5-3 lead but watched his advantage disappear as Suljovic mounted a comeback to secure a 6-5 victory.

During the closing stages, Suljovic was seen waving his arms behind Smith as the Englishman prepared to throw. Smith subsequently missed two match darts at double 18, giving his opponent another opportunity to stay in the contest.

Suljovic made the most of his reprieve, celebrating after Smith failed to take his chances before hitting double 10 to complete the comeback.

The match ended with a frosty handshake between the two players, with the incident quickly becoming a talking point among darts fans.

Smith later addressed the controversy on X, making it clear that he accepted responsibility for missing his opportunities while criticising Suljovic’s apparent behaviour.

“I don’t blame Mensur for me losing that game. I missed 2 match darts. Simple as that,” Smith wrote.

“Obviously it’s impossible for me to know what he’s doing behind my back when I’m throwing, apart from the crowd’s response.

“If he wants to be an absolute helmet, that’s on him. #karma will come around.”

Darts influencer Josh Pearson also expressed his anger over the incident, calling on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to take action against Suljovic.

“I love Mensur Suljovic but that was absolutely disgusting behaviour from him. Hope they throw the book at him after that. I bet Ross Smith is absolutely livid and I wouldn’t blame him one bit. Pathetic,” Pearson posted.

He continued: “It’s bad enough when the crowd are putting a player off. It’s even worse when an opponent is actively encouraging the crowd to put a player off. It’s cheating, pure and simple. Throw the book at him @OfficialPDC.”

The controversy has also revived memories of previous accusations of gamesmanship involving Suljovic.

The Austrian was branded a “cheat” by Joe Cullen following their second-round meeting at last year’s World Darts Championship, despite winning the match 3-1.

Cullen accused Suljovic of taking too long to retrieve his darts and celebrating excessively between legs. The incident eventually prompted referee Kirk Bevins to intervene.

Suljovic’s latest encounter with Smith has once again sparked debate about sportsmanship in professional darts, particularly over whether players should face consequences for actions perceived to distract or unsettle their opponents.