The Schedule of Play for tomorrow night... Michael van Gerwen kicks off his campaign against his old friend Vincent van der Voort, and reigning champion Dimitri Van den Bergh takes on Gerwyn Price!
"Luke Littler was like a formula one car against me!'' - Raymond van Barneveld not too downhearted about World Championship exit
PDCFriday, 26 January 2024 at 15:30
Raymond van Barneveld will face Rob Cross in the first round of the Dutch Darts Masters on Friday night in front of his compatriots.
''Rob is an amazing player and an amazing guy,” Van Barneveld said in conversation with the PDC. ''Look at the way Rob fought back against Chris Dobey at the World Championship (0-4 down to win 5-4). You have never beaten him until you hit that last double."
Van Barneveld himself lost in the fourth round of the World Darts Championship to teenage sensation Luke Littler. ''I thought I played really well at the World Championship, but Luke Littler was like a formula one car against me!'' Van Barneveld spoke realistically.
However, the five-time world champion is determined to maintain his good form of recent weeks. ''I was struggling for many years with my darts, with my flights, but hopefully, with this set-up, this is it now. There is no doubt in my head anymore, and I really believe I’m going to do good things this year.”
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- Was watching an old World Masters final the other day between Eric Bristow and John Lowe, the crowd respect for both players on throw was first class, not a sound. You can imagine now the idiots who were whistling on De Deckers throw proudly boasting about it on social media. I blame the PDC to a certain extent though doubt they really care as they win regardless of which player wins or loses.Mysstree16-11-2024
- @UndartedWaters I totally agree with your thoughts! I totally respect Kirk but in this instance I was disappointed with his lack of crowd control. I even turned to my husband and said "Could you imagine this happening if Russ Bray was the referee tonight? At least there would have been a crowd admonishment- Ladies and Gentleman please." I so felt for Mike DeDecker...MamaVenus15-11-2024
- Many fans had a sour taste in their mouth by the end of this match. Mike was cruising to victory, playing beautiful darts, when the whistling started in earnest, particularly on his doubles. You could see in Mike's face that it was really affecting his concentration. The referee should have asked for order, just to show that the whistling is unacceptable, and Luke Littler could also have done his part to quieten down the crowd instead of "taking full advantage.:" I put that down to his age though. He needs some good advice on this from his management team and/or more seasoned players. It's got to be about who's best on the night, not who is being harassed by the crowd. Luke Littler played well to get back into the game and win, but it was a hollow victory. If he goes on to win the tournament, that triumph too will be tainted because of this match.
UndartedWaters15-11-2024 - Agree. Van der voort will be the one taking a break when he loses his tour card. Everyone saying about how bad Wright's last 18 months have been, and in that time he's won several Euro tours and the European Championships.Matilda6215-11-2024
- When Littler has at least five ranking Majors he’s in the discussion, until then, forget it.Mysstree14-11-2024