“Everything he had a look at basically went in” – Kevin Doets averages 104 in defeat as strong World Matchplay debut goes unrewarded

Kevin Doets showed on his World Matchplay debut that he belongs on the biggest stage. The Dutchman did lose 10-6 to Ross Smith in the first round, but did so with an impressive average of over 104 and a 55 percent checkout rate. Even that, however, wasn’t enough against a rampant Englishman who capitalized on virtually every chance.

Smith burst out of the gates and raced into a 5-0 lead. The former European champion produced a 10-darter along the way and a spectacular 160 checkout.

Doets then battled back well to 6-4 and for a long time looked in with a shout of a comeback, but Smith kept striking at the key moments. Even a brilliant 161 checkout from the Dutchman wasn’t enough to turn the match. Smith eventually sealed it with a tidy 120 checkout.

Afterward, Doets mainly felt he had done little wrong. “To be honest, I don’t even really know what to make of the match,” he told Viaplay on camera. “I felt I threw very well from start to finish. Yet I still lose 10-6.”

Smith’s lightning start made the task especially tough. In no time, Doets was 5-0 down, even though he felt he wasn’t playing badly at all. “Especially in that first session it was unbelievable. He also takes out 160 while I’m sitting on a finish.”

According to Doets, the difference lay mainly in his opponent’s finishing. “Today he took out everything he needed to. He doesn’t always do that, but today I had the bad luck that he did.”

He didn’t feel he left many chances out there himself. “I felt I was throwing really well. Maybe I missed a chance here and there, but in the end he was just very strong.”

After a disastrous opening phase, Doets fought back well to 6-4. At that point he began to believe in a result again. “Then I thought: it’s still on. I had my confidence back.”

Even so, Smith kept striking at the right moments. “In that second session he hits another key double with his last dart. Then he takes something out again with his last dart. Everything he had a look at basically went in.”

Despite that, Doets stayed within touching distance. “I tried to hang in there and that worked reasonably well. But in the end he was just better at the finish.”

The highlight of Doets’ match was undoubtedly his spectacular 161 checkout, which kept the deficit manageable for a while. Still, he sensed Smith would hit straight back.

“It wasn’t only him getting chances. I had 61 left myself, but then I hit a 2, nowhere near the bull. After that I get a dart at tops, but I drag it under.”

That summed up the match quite well. “For me it was just not quite there, even though I played really well. For him it was also very good, but for him it was just going in.”

The numbers back that up. With an average of over 104 and a 55 percent checkout rate, Doets delivered an excellent display. When those figures were put to him afterward, he could only respond briefly. “Unfortunately.”