Florian Hempel sets up World Championship rematch with Dimitri Van den Bergh, two years after shocking the Belgian
PDCSunday, 17 December 2023 at 21:09
Florian Hempel has set up a World Darts Championship rematch with Dimitri Van den Bergh thanks to a 3-1 win over Dylan Slevin in a tight contest.
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Although Hempel was the more experienced of the pair on the Ally Pally stage, neither player looked settled early doors. In a nervy first set where both averaged only around the 80 mark, it was Slevin who took it by three legs to one.
To start set 2 however, Slevin looked to have become more comfortable, pinning a stunning 167 checkout to edge in front. Hempel fired back in leg 2 with a ton-plus of his own, 107. With the set going all the way to a deciding leg, Slevin blew his opportunity, missing four darts for a two set lead with Hempel punishing to level up.
Slevin bounced back well to start set 3, moving two legs clear in the set but as Hempel fought his way back into the set, more profligacy on the outer ring from the Irishman proved costly. Sinking 85, the German took the set and the lead.
Continuing with the momentum, Hempel quickly moved two clear in the fourth set but after he missed a match dart in the third leg, Slevin punished to prolong the encounter. Despite a final 180 of defiance however, the Irishman could do nothing to prevent Hempel from sinking double 18 this time around, sealing the win.
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Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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