"I think it's outrageous that they're doing this" - Kim Huybrechts unhappy with scheduling of opening night at World Darts Championship
PDC
In the opening sessions of the upcoming World Darts Championship, one player will have to take to the stage twice. According to Kim Huybrechts, himself a competitor at the Alexandra Palace this month, this scheduling should be changed.
The opening match of the World Darts Championship will be played out by Thibault Tricole and Joe Comito. The winner of that first-round match will take on reigning world champion Luke Humphries in the final match of the evening. It has long been a tradition that the defending champion takes on the winner of the opening match on the opening night of the World Darts Championship, but as mentioned, Huybrechts doesn't seem to agree with it.
"I think it's outrageous that they are doing this," Huybrechts funes to the Double Top podcast. "Really outrageous, I don't think that's acceptable. It has happened once so far that the reigning world champion was straight out and that was John Part. For the rest, we haven't even come close to such a shock. Other than Kevin Doets last year against Michael Smith."
Huybrechts is especially bothered that this is happening at the most important tournament of the year. "Now we have Tricole against Comito. The latter comes all the way from Australia and maybe he's going to surprise. That one is then going to have a wow feeling and then they tap his back of, 'Hey, in an hour you have to throw again'. Whereas all the other 94 players have a day or days to let it all sink in. These guys have an hour and a half and then they have to compete against the best darter in the world. That's like Club Brugge in the Champions League being happy with a point against Manchester City and then having to get right back into it against Liverpool."
"In no other sport do you go through something like that," Huybrechts concludes. "So again, I don't see it happening that the world champion will be out soon. Why does it necessarily have to play on the first day? It's not fair."
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- The game needs Lewis,he's a top bloke. If they put wright in the premier league last year,they can give Lewis a tour card. He has nothing to proverick6710-12-2024
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