“My practice is very bad” – Dirk van Duijvenbode admits crisis of confidence despite opening Swiss Darts Trophy win

Dirk van Duijvenbode has admitted his game is clouded by self-doubt right now, even after coming through an opening-round test at the 2025 Swiss Darts Trophy with a 6-2 victory over his fellow Dutchman Jitse van der Wal on Friday night in Basel.

It wasn’t vintage Aubergenius by any stretch of the imagination, but Van Duijvenbode still showed flashes of quality – including a brilliant 125 checkout in the opening leg – were enough to see him safely into round two despite his ongoing search for confidence.

The Dutchman made a lively start, breaking throw with that unconventional three-dart sequence of bull, treble 13, double 18. But after three legs, not a single hold of throw had been registered, with the pair locked in a scrappy exchange.

Van Duijvenbode eventually settled into a small cushion at 3-1, though he never hit top gear across the contest. By the seventh leg he had wrestled back control at 5-2, and duly closed it out to complete a 6-2 win.

Statistically, the numbers backed up the impression of a patchy display. Van Duijvenbode averaged 89.79 to Van der Wal’s 89.61, with just a solitary maximum across the eight legs. His checkout percentage, 60%, was the real difference-maker, highlighted by that clinical 125 finish.

Despite the result, Van Duijvenbode cut a frustrated figure in his post-match interview, openly admitting his problems stretch beyond the stage.

“The ProTours before, I felt like I was playing great and then such bad results, such bad averages. You start doubting, you start trying to tweak things, and well, it helped at some point, but it was very bad,” he said.

Even his practice routines have left him concerned. “It’s not like I practise very well and then drop my level on stage. My practice is very bad as well, so I’m just completely in doubt at the moment. I need to fix it as soon as possible and hopefully I can do that before tomorrow. We’ve got three hours of practice before the game.”

Last week’s struggles still linger, but the Dutchman is determined not to dwell on it. “A win obviously helps a little bit because I was very frustrated with the loss last week and the way I played. Sometimes you shouldn’t worry too much after one game, but I was worried a lot because I’d never dropped to that average before. That made me very worried, and because of that you get another one like that. It is what it is. I need to leave it behind. It’s all over and it should be good for tomorrow.”

Pressed on whether wins are the only way back to confidence, Van Duijvenbode didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, exactly.”

He’ll need more of them if he is to leave his current concerns behind in Basel, but for now, the job was done: a 6-2 win, a second-round spot, and at least a foothold to build from.