Dirk van Duijvenbode defeated 4 main champions to achieve the ultimate of October’s World Grand Prix on debut
This time final 12 months, Dirk van Duijvenbode was making ready for PDC Qualifying Faculty, having relinquished his place on the Professional Tour circuit. What a distinction a 12 months makes.
Quick ahead 12 months, and following a five-year hiatus, the Dutchman returns to Alexandra Palace as a serious finalist, realizing {that a} robust efficiency within the capital may catapult him into the world’s prime 32.
It has been a outstanding ascent up the ranks for the 28-year-old – a 66/1 shot with the bookmakers at this 12 months’s World Championship, who solely registered his first win on the televised stage two months in the past.
Van Duijvenbode has gone from energy to energy since regaining his PDC Tour Card in January, the second time he is completed so by way of Qualifying Faculty. That’s testomony to his resolve, which he has displayed in abundance all through 2020.
Following his Q Faculty exploits, Van Duijvenbode reached his first senior PDC rating semi-final on the opening weekend of Gamers Championship motion, adopted by a run to the semi-finals of the Belgian Darts Championship lower than one month later.
Lockdown stifled his momentum, but October’s World Grand Prix marked his breakthrough, as he defeated 4 main winners in Mensur Suljovic, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Gary Anderson and Simon Whitlock to achieve his first PDC last.
‘The Titan’ turned the primary participant to achieve the Grand Prix last on debut because the match’s inception in 1998, and the primary Dutchman exterior of Michael van Gerwen or Raymond van Barneveld to achieve a serious rating last since 2007.
His goals of glory had been curtailed by a ruthless Gerwyn Value, however even his most ardent supporters would have struggled to envisage such success within the double-start occasion.
The psychological aspect of your recreation might be 30% of your efficiency, and denying that you’ve got psychological issues since you suppose you are too good for that, I feel that may be a weak point.
Van Duijvenbode on the psychological side of the game
He is since confirmed that his Grand Prix exploits had been no fluke, registering quarter-final appearances on the European Championship and Gamers Championship Finals, including wins over Michael Smith and Peter Wright to his résumé.
Nonetheless, as he prepares to tackle newly topped World Youth champion Bradley Brooks in his World Championship opener, complacency is not going to be a difficulty for the enigmatic Dutchman.
“These outcomes are clearly good however you want to have your ft to the bottom,” Van Duijvenbode advised the Darts Present podcast.
“I do not take it as a right that I could make the quarter-finals in each TV occasion.
“The purpose for the entire 12 months was taking part in at Ally Pally, now that purpose is reached and I am setting greater objectives than I did initially of the 12 months.”
Friday night on the Darts (6pm)
| Spherical One | Dirk van Duijvenbode | vs | Bradley Brooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spherical One | John Henderson | vs | Marko Kantele |
| Spherical One | Luke Humphries | vs | Paul Lim |
| Spherical Two | James Wade | vs | Callan Rydz |
Reside World Darts Championship
December 18, 2020, 6:00pm
Reside on 
Van Duijvenbode will tackle 2018 world champion Rob Cross if he defeats Brooks, but regardless of Cross’ obvious vulnerability, the World Grand Prix finalist is refusing to get carried away.
“Individuals say Rob Cross is not in his greatest kind however I am pondering I have to win the primary one, so my focus is on Bradley Brooks, not on Rob Cross,” continued the Dutchman.
“I bear in mind two years in the past Rob wasn’t in his greatest kind, Jeffrey de Zwaan was, however then Jeffrey de Zwaan ended up shedding with a 106 common.
“Kind would not say something for the World Championship. You can not examine it with every other match.”
Regardless of his relative inexperience on the massive stage, Van Duijvenbode isn’t any novice. He reached his first last on the PDC Youth Tour in 2011 and gained by means of to 2 Problem Tour finals in 2013 – succumbing on all three events.
The Dutchman will tackle fifth seed Rob Cross if he defeats Bradley Brooks on Friday night
He made his Ally Pally bow in 2016 towards his compatriot Raymond van Barneveld, though his debut was marred by infamously hitting a 180 to bust his rating throughout a humbling straight-sets defeat.
What ought to have been a proud second descended right into a nightmare night towards the five-time world champion, subsequently he’s decided to make amends this time round.
“In fact I do not forget that,” he quipped. “I went to psychological teaching this 12 months for the primary time, and I feel I am effectively ready for not making the identical mistake once more.
“I really feel like I’ve to make one thing proper for that efficiency. I need to ship efficiency within the Worlds, so folks will overlook about that one hopefully.”
The recurring theme when analysing Van Duijvenbode’s rise is ambition. Such was his frustration at not fulfilling his potential, he vowed to stop the game if he didn’t safe his World Championship return by the age of 30.
Van Duijvenbode’s greatest main outcomes
| PDC World Championship | Final 64 (2016) |
|---|---|
| World Grand Prix | Last (2020) |
| Grand Slam of Darts | Group Stage (2020) |
| Gamers Championship Finals | Quarter-Finals (2020) |
| UK Open | Final 32 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020) |
| European Championship | Quarter-Finals (2020) |
He additionally spoke brazenly about bettering the psychological side of his recreation. Many professionals could also be reluctant to debate this in such candid phrases on account of a perceived present of weak point, however Van Duijvenbode thinks in any other case.
“I feel it’s weak point if you happen to see it as a weak point. The psychological aspect of your recreation might be 30% of your efficiency, and denying that you’ve got psychological issues since you suppose you are too good for that, I feel that may be a weak point.
“I’ve had just a few modifications this 12 months which have made me a greater participant. I by no means practised loads – I practiced two or three nights per week at most, as a result of I at all times obtained accidents, and I’d find yourself taking part in worse than earlier than I used to be practising.
“I finished practising due to that cause and after I obtained my Tour Card again this 12 months, I used to be pondering: ‘It’s essential do it proper now’.”
Nonetheless, one change Van Duijvenbode insists he will not be making includes his work as an administrative assistant on an aubergine farm within the Netherlands.
Van Duijvenbode turned the primary Dutchman exterior of Van Gerwen or Van Barneveld to achieve a serious rating last since 2007 on the World Grand Prix
There are examples of established gamers who stability work commitments with the unrelenting PDC circuit – Jonny Clayton has been on the periphery of the world’s prime 10 however nonetheless works full-time as a plasterer.
Such are the rigours of competing amongst the world’s elite to earn a dwelling, having the safety blanket of a sustainable earnings can alleviate a few of this strain.
But regardless of the prospect of a spot on the planet’s prime 32 looming giant, the 28-year-old insists he is not going to be tempted by requires him to make the leap and make darts his full-time occupation.
“I’ll carry on working as a result of I feel if you happen to do not play Premier League, it is solely busy from October to December,” Van Duijvenbode added.
“In my work, it is not a busy time, so I can mix it simply and I work within the workplace, so I can carry my laptop computer with me throughout just a few occasions. I introduced it with me for the Grand Slam, the Winter Collection and the World Grand Prix.
“I will not make the identical hours however I can nonetheless do my necessary work, so I can mix it and I prefer it. I am right here due to them, so I do not need to go away when it is lastly going effectively.”
It’s a methodology that has served him effectively all through 2020, though Van Duijvenbode’s rapid focus is centred round World Championship redemption.
He minimize a forlorn determine in his final Ally Pally outing, however he returns a greater participant and a extra resilient character. This time round, the ‘aubergenius’ can be hoping the seeds of doubt are planted within the heads of his opponents.
Do not miss a dart this Christmas due to the devoted Sky Sports activities Darts channel all the way in which till January 4 with each session from the World Darts Championship, together with the ultimate on Sunday, January 3. Try every day Darts information on skysports.com/darts, our app for cellular gadgets and our Twitter account @SkySportsDarts
