"For me too, this qualification came as a surprise" - Alexander Merkx set for PDC World Darts Championship debut

Alexander Merkx is set to make his debut at the PDC World Darts Championship next month. The 30-year-old Dutchman also competed at last year's WDF World Championship, but lost in the first round to Dennis Nilsson there.

Merkx, who managed to qualify through the Challenge Tour, is active in daily life as a caravan and camper salesman in the Netherlands. "Normally work and darts are easy to combine. At my work they really like what I have achieved and they think along with me. The coming weeks I will try to make as many training hours as possible at home, play tournaments and train whole days with other darters," Merkx said to Omroep Brabant. "Quitting is not an option for now. I think only the top 32 in the world can live off the sport. I'll just have to keep working, but that's not a problem for me."

As mentioned, Merkx had also previously managed to qualify for the WDF World Championship at Lakeside, but opted instead to give priority to his trip to the Alexandra Palace instead. His qualification did come as a surprise, even to himself. "I was in Leicester, England, to secure my place among the first sixteen during the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. I was ranked twelfth, but immediately won my first tournament. Then I had to move on quickly for the next tournament. My phone was off all day and only in the evening in the hotel room did I see that I was on course for the World Championship. The first two darters on the rankings had already qualified by other means, which freed up two spots."

"I wasn't nervous before my trip to England, but that night I felt the excitement. When the ticket was finally in, a bottle of champagne was uncorked. A very special feeling that I get to go to the World Championship."