Kleermaker frustrated after Dobey loss at PDC World Darts Championship: "If you do this against the World Number 22, you have no business being here"

Martijn Kleermaker has had to leave the World Darts Championship before Christmas. 'The Dutch Giant' was no match for Chris Dobey in the second round.

He lost 3-0 to the Bedlington ace. However, two of the three lost sets were over the full five legs and Kleermaker had plenty of chances for more.

''If you get the chances, you have to take them and that didn't happen,'' Kleermaker analysed afterwards to AD.nl. ''So I can talk long and wide, but I just rightly lost, that's the simple conclusion. With all due respect, if you do this against the number 22 in the world, you have no business here. It's no different. I haven't had a sharp year so maybe this is also what it is for now."

Immediately afterwards, Kleermaker could also put his defeat into perspective. The Dutchman had entered a prediction before the tournament and placed himself in the quarterfinals. According to that prediction, he had won over Chris Dobey and then Gary Anderson, before Michael van Gerwen would be too strong at the last eight.

''When I win I have a big mouth and when I lose also. That big mouth is the person I am, so what people think of that, I'll give a s***. Then I say to those people: here you have my set of darts, good luck! You always have to have the idea that you can be the champion, you have to radiate that. Yes, that prediction? That's all shattered now!''