FRANCE OFF TO A FLYER! 🇫🇷 France pull off the biggest upset of the tournament so far, beating former semi-finalists Northern Ireland 4-1 in the opening Group D game. 📺 bit.ly/WorldCup23Live | #WorldCupOfDarts | Group D
Subdued Belgium pairing whitewash Finland as France justify selection with Northern Ireland rout at World Cup of Darts
PDCThursday, 15 June 2023 at 22:01
Belgium didn't have their usual camaraderie on stage but it wasn't needed at the World Cup of Darts on Night One as Dimitri van den Bergh and Kim Huybrechts opened up their campaign with a 4-0 win over Finland.
Marko Kantele has already booked his spot at the World Championship in December but has yet to dazzle on the big stage. That continues with his partner, Pavo Myller.
On the Viaplay coverage, Vincent van der Voort confirmed that the Belgians were not on speaking terms with a complaint filed to the PDC by Van den Bergh surrounding Huybrechts.
This showed with no fist bumps and Huybrechts leaving the stage in a hurry. But it was all business apart from that.
Van den Bergh corrected after hitting double one for double 20 with double 19 pinned for 1-0. A 180 and a 41 checkout saw a subdued Huybrechts make it 2-0.
After missed darts, Van den Bergh finally hit double two for 3-0 and sealed the deal for the first whitewash.
Viva La France as selection justified
While French pairing, Thibault Tricole and Jacques Labre produced the display of the tournament so far before that.
They thrashed Northern Ireland pairing, Daryl Gurney and Brendan Dolan with the emergence of Josh Rock potentially seeing a different look next year.
They have never had the best time of it in the tournament and that continued with a 4-1 loss against a country many have called to be included for a long time.
Despite early nerves from Labre, France raced into a 2-0 lead and had darts for 3-0. But after the former missed darts, Dolan produced a 100 checkout using two double 20’s to keep them involved.
Tricole was set up superbly off the 170 from Labre and he made it 3-1. The impressive display was capped off with a 114 checkout from Tricole.
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- Am not outraged and as said above i dont like anyone from any country doing it to anyone from any country. Whoever is going for a double should have best of order.Mysstree17-11-2024
- Say what? It happens in other countries; Littler in January - this year (Holland), go and watch the evidence on YouTube. If it is going to be done to English players, then we are more than entitled to dish the same back when players face off in England. When it happened to Littler in Holland in January... where was your outrage then? ABE attitude.MrYnyslas197117-11-2024
- I dont like individuals or crowds trying to put any player off when they are trying to check out, how anyone can think its okay for the crowd to whistle or shout as someone is throwing for a double is beyond me but it does seem to have become part and parcel of the modern game. I no longer play now, darts is as good as dead at a local level round my way but when i did play many years ago, no matter how intense the rivalry you never shouted out or whistled when an opponent from the other team was throwing for a double.Mysstree17-11-2024
- The pundits glossing over the other factor at play in that match. They appear to be somewhat constrained in what they can say publicly.
UndartedWaters16-11-2024 - So, you don't like Littler, then? I was cheering him on, being a fellow Englishman. Honestly, some of us get far too offended nowadays. If you want to see crowd passion... watch a match when German and Dutch players face off... that can be just as bad if not worse for crowd noises. It happens, I have watched and heard Littler being jeered - Dirk van Duijvenbode in Holland, January this year. Where was your outrage then? Yes, I can clearly see what is going on here.MrYnyslas197116-11-2024