“If you throw up five times before your game, it’s not nice” – Danny Noppert overcomes torrid illness as he prepares for Littler test

For Danny Noppert, it turned into a night to remember at the UK Open. The Dutchman claimed an impressive victory over world number two Luke Humphries, securing a place on the final day of the prestigious tournament in Minehead.

After his 10-6 win over Humphries in the last 16 of the UK Open, Noppert stayed grounded but was clearly pleased with his display. The key to his victory? According to the Frisian, it was all about the doubles. “Of course I’m happy with this win,” said Noppert. “I think the doubles in this game were crucial. He missed a lot of opportunities and I took my chances. Every time when I was on top, at the right moments, I hit them."

Remarkably, Noppert had never beaten Humphries on a big TV stage before this match. He wasn’t even aware of that himself. “I didn’t know that,” he admitted. “No. It was a good performance at a good moment."

For Noppert, the win mainly means he is back on the UK Open final day — something he is visibly relishing. “It’s the UK Open again and I’m on the final day, so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”

What made the win even more special were the circumstances earlier in the tournament. Just a day earlier, the Dutchman had been quite ill. “It was a really bad day,” he said. “If you throw up five times before your game, it’s not nice.”

Even so, he stepped up to the oche and produced an exceptional moment: a nine-darter. That made the achievement all the more remarkable. Noppert said he had only one goal during that match: win as quickly as possible. “The only thing I was thinking about at that moment was to win the game fast. I also thought about a nine-darter. I couldn’t celebrate too much because then I’d throw up."

There was even a bin ready behind the stage for emergencies. “It was so bad,” he said with a laugh afterwards.

Fortunately, Noppert felt much better a day later. His recovery started cautiously, with a simple test for his stomach. “This morning I woke up and I had a banana to check how my stomach was,” he explained. “It accepted it.”

That was followed by a second step in his recovery plan. “Afterwards I had three boiled eggs. That’s the recipe… not too much fat.,” he joked.

The reward for beating Humphries is anything but straightforward. Next up is the reigning world champion and world number one: Luke Littler. When Noppert heard who he would face next, he remained composed. “It is what it is. This is the UK Open—you can draw everyone.”

The Dutchman believes that’s part of the tournament’s charm, known for its open draw. “accept it. I’m looking forward to playing Luke Littler.”

Noppert has yet to record a TV win over Littler as well. “I’ve never beaten him on television either… maybe tomorrow."

Littler’s rise has been impressive of late, and many players now see the young Englishman as a phenomenon in the sport. Noppert acknowledges that too. “I think he’s from another planet,” he said with a smile.

Still, he doesn’t rule out an upset. “Hopefully I’m from another planet tomorrow," he joked. "If I play well, I can beat him."

An interesting question after his victory was whether his earlier illness might also have brought an unexpected advantage. Because he felt so bad, Noppert had to focus entirely on winning his matches as quickly as possible.

He doesn’t necessarily see it that way himself. “It was sad to be ill, of course,” he said. “But I feel a lot better now. For me it’s a better feeling.”

This season, Noppert is absent from the Premier League Darts, a topic that was widely discussed beforehand. For some players that can be a disappointment, but Noppert takes a pragmatic view. The sport’s busy schedule means he values his time at home even more. “It’s busy every week,” he said. “I always like to be at home with my family."

If he gets the chance to play all the big tournaments, he will of course take it. But the support of his loved ones remains paramount. “If I have the opportunity to play everything, my family is behind me,” he said. “TI think it’s most important to have the best support behind you.”

His girlfriend has played a major role in that. “She supports me all the time,” Noppert concluded. “That means a lot to me.”