"I didn’t mean to sound cocky. I just believe in myself – and I backed it up today" - Kevin Doets regrets 'cocky' statements ahead of defeating African's darting hero David Munyua at Ally Pally

Kevin Doets brough a sombre mood to the Alexandra Palace after defeating cult hero David Munyua 3-0 in their second round clash in the PDC World Darts Championship. While it was a relatively standard triumph and a game he should have won, he opened up about his pre-match thoughts, regretting his comments.

While on paper it may have looked like a comfortable win while dropping just two legs, it was anything but that for Hawkeye. "No. In the first set I was expecting a lot of booing and whistling, but the noise the crowd made was something I didn’t expect at all," he said in his press conference to Dartsnews.com. "It felt like standing at an airport next to an aeroplane – it was so loud. I was expecting noise, but it honestly made me laugh how hard it was, and I think that made me lose a bit of focus. After the first set it felt like I went into cruise control and from then on it was pretty routine."

It was a historic trip to North London for Munyua, who defeated the former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker in his opening match, becoming the first Kenyan to win at the World Darts Championship. "I hadn’t met David before this game, but backstage he was very talkative and just a really nice guy," Doets said, very complimentary of his opponent. "I told him I respected what he’s done for his country and hoped we’d give the crowd a good game. I think we did that. A 3–0 is probably not what the audience wanted to see, but I’m happy with it."

He admitted that the attention being piled more on Munyua than him is not a strange feeling. "No, not really. He deserves it. It’s the first time someone from Kenya has gone this far – it’s a sensation, a phenomenon. I don’t mind that 80% of the attention is on him. I’m the one through to round three, and that’s what matters to me."  

In his last two appearances, the 27-year-old has amassed an impressive four wins. This included a victory over former world champion Michael Smith in last year's event enroute to a fourth round exit to the hands of Chris Dobey, despite leading 3-2 at one point. He has raised his win tally to six in three visits. "I wouldn’t say I’ve played my best darts here yet," Doets admitted. "I’ve played well, but not my best. I just know how to win on stage. On the floor this year I’ve played really well too – I just haven’t managed to win the tournaments I feel I’m capable of."

In reality, he feels at home on the big stage. "For some reason I feel very comfortable on that stage and that helps me a lot."

Before the second round clash, Doets acknowledged that he would rather play Munyua than De Decker, confident that he would be good enough to easily dispatch 'Why not.' "I never meant any disrespect to David. I’m a top-40 player, and I know that means I’m a good player," Doets stated. "When you draw someone like David Munyua or Mike de Decker, you naturally feel more confident against someone playing on this stage for the first time than someone who’s already won a major. I didn’t mean to sound cocky. I just believe in myself – and I backed it up today with a 3–0 win."

This belief worked, and extinguished any nerves. "Honestly, I didn’t feel many nerves today. I felt more nerves in my first game. From the first dart today I felt confident and comfortable. After the first set I really settled, and it became a routine win."

Inevitably, the crowd would be leaning towards Munya. Doets, with the case study of the De Decker match, knew what would be coming. "With Mike, the booing wasn’t that bad until he started missing," he said. "That’s maybe something he wasn’t prepared for. After my first game, I expected to be booed every dart, and that actually helped me."

When asked if it was the most volatile crowd he has played in front of, he was quick to answer: "For sure. The only other time I’ve been booed like that was on the Euro Tour in Germany. Here it started from leg one, so yeah – it was something else. But I expected it and I was prepared."

However, the role of pantomime villain was not a position he was fond of. "I don’t like it, to be honest. I think I made a mistake with what I said earlier, because it came across cocky. But going into the match I felt confident, during the match I felt confident, and after the match I still feel confident. Of course you want the crowd behind you, but it didn’t affect how I played."

The Dutchman may be once again under the cosh with another fan favourite set to be his next challenger. Nevertheless, it will not faze him. "Same as always – I’m just going to play my own game," Doets commented. "I’ve got a good record against Nathan, and I’ve never played Leonard. I didn’t play badly today, but I know I can play a lot better, and I’m confident I will in the next game."

Doets is not wrong. He has got the better of Aspinall in their last five meetings, losing just once in their first battle on the oche. The last two came on the main stage in the Dutch Masters and Austrian Open this year. He has a right to be confident for whoever he faces in the third round. " Definitely. I lost focus a bit in the first set because of the noise, but overall I felt comfortable. If I keep doing what I did today, I’ll raise my level for the next game," he concluded.