Huybrechts looks back on first PDC ranking title since 2015: "Cooperation with Erik Clarys is gradually bearing fruit"

Kim Huybrechts won the third Players Championship of the year last weekend. For the 37-year-old Belgian, it was the first PDC ranking title since 2015.

Huybrechts looks back with satisfaction a week later. "It was a great day, also very emotional. Fortunately, I had the mental support of my brother. Afterwards, I treated the players who are in the same management as myself in a steakhouse. Jurjen van der Velde, Niels Zonneveld, Robbie Knops and of course my brother were there, it was very cosy," Huybrechts told 433 Darts.

The day after, Huybrechts went down in the fourth Players Championship in the second round against Ian White. "I didn't play bad though and got 97 average, but Ian did just a bit better with 99 average and won in the deciding leg in eleven darts, you can't do much against that."

Collaboration with Clarys

Huybrechts has recently started working sometimes with ex-darter Erik Clarys. "We mainly work on the mental aspect. After all, sometimes I lose to myself because I don't stay calm enough, like at the 2022 World Championship against Gerwyn Price. With Erik I have also been working on finishes between 70 and 90, those finishes, by the way, gave me several wins last week."

Brother Ronny is also back on the Pro Tour since this year. "I am enormously proud that he has managed to win another Tour Card. Ronny also always knows the right things to say to me, we support each other through thick and thin. It's secretly a dream to be able to compete at the World Cup of Darts together one day, although I realise it will probably remain a dream."

The Huybrechts brothers lost the final against England for Belgium in 2013. In recent years, however, Belgium did not fare as well at the World Cup of Darts. "However, with Dimitri I have a very good partner. Maybe we are putting too much pressure on ourselves. I am convinced that one day we will take that trophy, the only question is when."

Meanwhile, the Premier League is in full swing, Huybrechts took part twice in the past and this year Van den Bergh is in.

"I wouldn't have put Dimitri himself among the eight participants, in my eyes someone like Luke Humphries would have deserved it more, I don't really understand the reason behind that either. But for TV coverage in Belgium, it's obviously good that a Belgian is there. A Premier League night in Belgium? Why not, darts is hot and nowadays one of the biggest sports in our country, apart from football."

'The Hurricane' has a clear goal in mind this year. "I want to rise further in the world rankings, towards top 20 and eventually top 16. Furthermore, I want to qualify for as many majors as possible."