Danny Noppert just missed the win at the Dutch Darts Championship, the eighth PDC Euro Tour tournament of the year. The Freeze qualified for the final in the IJsselhallen in Zwolle, but lost 7-8 to Michael Smith.
Both darters did not show their best game of the weekend in the final. De Fries faltered just too much on his doubles halfway through the game and came a break behind Smith. But at a 4-6 deficit, Noppert broke back with an impressive 12-darter. Unfortunately, he couldn’t cash in that break, because that bully boy could also throw a 12-darter, he showed in the next leg: 5-7.
But that wasn’t the last plot twist: thanks to a sharp 121 finish before another break, Noppert came back into the game at the last minute, only to leave the final leg and the title to Smith: 7-8.
Michael van Gerwen lost earlier in the day in the eighth finals against Rydz. That same Englishman faced Noppert in the semi-finals, but showed a lower level there than against mighty mike† The 26th in the world ranking barely managed to find the triples, while Noppert produced an average of 103.15. This yielded The Freeze a convincing win at: 7-2.
Noppert was too strong for Boris Krcmar in the quarterfinals. The Dutchman was 5-3 behind the Croat (57th in the world ranking). That was the signal for Noppert to step up a gear. The Freeze took three legs in a row and secured a place in the last four. The average of the Dutchman was just under 92, compared to just over 90 of Krcmar.
Victory over world champion
Noppert won in the eighth finals impressively from world champion Peter Wright. The Freeze was too strong for the Scot in a blistering game 6-5. For a moment, Noppert seemed to beat his experienced opponent with ease in the IJsselhallen. After six legs, the Friesian, who is having one of the best periods of his career, averaged over 104 – good for a 4-2 lead.
But at that point, the UK Open winner started missing too many doubles, which Wright knew how to handle. snakebite broke back, held his own leg, then saw Noppert miss again on double 32 at the 4-4 tie. The two-time world champion immediately threw out 109 for the second break and was on match point. Still, Noppert managed to pick himself up at that moment. The 31-year-old darter broke back by throwing 126, and did not give Wright the chance to win in the decisive leg.
Van Duijvenbode
Dirk van Duijvenbode was unable to follow Noppert’s example. Aubergeniusthe number sixteen in the world, threw fine (average more than 101), but lost in the quarterfinals to the Englishman Andrew Gilding, 74th in the world ranking: 3-6.
The Dutchman mainly left it in the opening phase, because he soon faced a 4-0 deficit. Van Duijvenbode fought back to 5-3, but Gilding then took the victory in Zwolle via double twenty. The 51-year-old Englishman will meet compatriot Michael Smith in the semi-final.
Van Duijvenbode won in the eighth finals in a high-quality match against the Englishman Dave Chisnall: 6-5. Chizzy threw a maximum finish of 170, but Aubergenius did not let himself be distracted and took the victory. Van Duijvenbode came to an average of 105.52, compared to 103.39 from Chisnall.
Van Gerwen down in eighth finals
Michael van Gerwen did not qualify for the quarterfinals. Mighty Mike lost in the IJsselhallen in Zwolle to the Englishman Callan Rydz: 4-6. Yesterday Van Gerwen made an impression with a 6-1 victory over Jelle Klaasen. Against Rydz, the number 26 in the world, the three-time world champion, third in the world ranking, remained far from that level.
It was still equal until 4-4, but then Rydz accelerated. The Englishman threw a thirteen-darter for a break and made it one leg later at his second match point. Rydz will face Australian Simon Whitlock in the quarterfinals.
Whitlock on the bull
Whitlock provided a striking moment in the IJsselhallen in the eighth finals. The Wizard stunned the crowd by finishing at 150 with three bullseye. He did it too, view the images below.
Eighth finals
• Ryan Meikle – Boris Krcmar 4-6
• Peter Wright – Danny Noppert 5-6
• Simon Whitlock – Daniel Larsson 6-1
• Michael van Gerwen – Callan Rydz 4-6
• Dave Chisnall – Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-6
• Ryan Searle – Andrew Gilding 4-6
• Damon Heta – Michael Smith 3-6
• Mervyn King – Chris Dobey 6-1
Quarter-finals
• Boris Krcmar – Danny Noppert 5-6
• Simon Whitlock – Callan Rydz 3-6
• Dirk van Duijvenbode – Andrew Gilding 3-6
† Michael Smith – Mervyn King 6-5
Semi-finals (from 9 p.m.)
• Danny Noppert – Callan Rydz 7-2
• Andrew Gilding – Michael Smith 4-7
Final
• Danny Noppert – Michael Smith
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