"I was so tired today, now I know why" – Danny Noppert finds explanation for disappointing defeat

Danny Noppert failed to reach the third round of the Baltic Sea Darts Open. The Frisian lost 6-2 to William O'Connor in the second round and could draw little positivity from his display afterward. Yet Noppert arrived at a striking conclusion about his physical condition following the match.

The Dutch darter did not look at his usual level during the tie and visibly struggled to find his rhythm. O'Connor fully capitalized on Noppert’s below-par performance and sealed a convincing victory, forcing the Dutchman into an early exit from the Baltic Sea Darts Open.

Afterward, Noppert said he had felt strikingly fatigued throughout the day. Only later did he discover a possible explanation for his lack of energy. The Frisian is currently struggling with severe hay fever symptoms and realized that his medication can have a fatigue-inducing effect.

"I was so tired today, But now I know why. I have pretty bad hay fever, and it turns out my medication can make you feel tired. Another lesson learned, although that's not much use to me right now," he said.

With that reaction, Noppert seems to have found an explanation for his energy-less feeling on match day. Although hay fever is often seen as a relatively mild condition, both the symptoms and certain antihistamines can significantly impact athletes’ concentration and energy levels. In a sport like darts, where focus and mental sharpness are crucial, that can make a big difference.

Still, Noppert will not want to point solely to that explanation. Against O'Connor, the former UK Open champion never really managed to put any sustained pressure on his opponent. The Irishman played solidly when required and punished the Dutchman’s misses effectively. As a result, the score quickly moved in O'Connor’s favor, who ultimately advanced with a comfortable 6-2 win to the next round.

For Noppert, the elimination marks a disappointing end to his Baltic Sea Darts Open campaign. The Dutchman will hope to get his hay fever symptoms and the effects of his medication under better control soon, so he can fully focus again on the upcoming tournaments on the PDC calendar.