DIRK DISPATCHES LITTLER! 🇳🇱 What a performance from Dirk van Duijvenbode! The Dutchman produces a superb display to progress to a first European Tour quarter-final of 2024! 📺 bit.ly/PDCTVLive | #ET10 🔜 R Searle v R Smith
"Luke Littler is better than Michael van Gerwen at 17, but Michael won't like to hear that" - Dirk van Duijvenbode praises 'The Nuke'
PDCFriday, 13 September 2024 at 16:39
Plagued by injury, Dirk van Duijvenbode has not had the best year of his career in 2024. Last weekend, however, he showed signs of his old self again by reaching the quarter-finals of the Flanders Darts Trophy, the tenth tournament of the European Tour 2024.
Van Duijvenbode eventually stranded in the quarterfinals after a 6-4 defeat to Ricardo Pietreczko. A round earlier, however, 'Aubergenius' had impressed by sending Luke Littler home 6-2 with a 100+ average.
The 32-year-old Dutchman was nevertheless impressed by his 15-year younger opponent. "I saw his average from his first match (against Jermaine Wattimena, ed.) and I thought, okay, he throws 135 with his first three darts. I can throw that too, but I don't do it every time," Van Duijvenbode said to Sportnieuws.nl.
So Van Duijvenbode was determined to play strong. "I was SO focused. I thought, Dirk, if you want to win, you have to be at your best. If you win against Luke, then it gives a huge confidence boost. Littler is better than I am and better than a lot of other players."
Dirk van Duijvenbode on the podium of the Flanders Darts Trophy
"We've never seen a boy play so well," Van Duijvenbode continued. "I know Van Gerwen doesn't like to hear it, but Littler is better than Van Gerwen was when he was 17. He's not at his best yet. He still has so much to improve and he's already almost unbeatable."
The European Tour continues on the weekend of Sept. 20, 21 and 22. Then Van Duijvenbode will be back in action at the Hungarian Darts Trophy. A few days before that, two tournaments of the Players Championship are also scheduled. Van Duijvenbode hopes to perform strongly at those tournaments in order to qualify for the World Grand Prix. He is currently seventeenth on the Pro Tour Order of Merit, one place behind the number sixteen, James Wade. Only the top 16 on that ranking qualify for this major.
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