“That’s when I thought, 'Damn, I’m playing well'” - Kevin Doets reacts to stunning record average at the European Darts Trophy

Kevin Doets has reached the second round of the European Darts Trophy in stunning fashion. The Dutchman swept debutant Jonas Masalin off the stage with a commanding 6-0 and posted a sensational average of 117.12 – the highest average ever in the history of this tournament.

The performance drew admiration from both the crowd and the interviewer immediately afterward. Doets himself, however, remained strikingly down-to-earth about his display. “Yes, it was good, right? I don’t really know what happened. I just felt very comfortable,” Doets said shortly after the match.

While the crowd realised early on that something special was unfolding, it only truly sank in for Doets later. Only when he pulled out to a 5-0 lead did he begin to grasp how high his level was. “I think when I went 5–0 up. That’s when I thought, 'Damn, I’m playing well,'” he said. “At the start I was already averaging around 130 or something like that, and I was thinking, 'Wow, I’m playing really well.'"

Doets found it hard to pinpoint the exact key to that exceptional match. “I don’t know what it was — I just felt comfortable and everything was going right.”

For Masalin, his debut on the European Tour turned into a tough night. The Finn was given an instant darts lesson by the Dutchman, who also paused afterward to reflect on his opponent’s situation. “Yes… I’m sorry, Jonas. Sorry,” Doets replied with a smile when told that Masalin was making his first appearance on this stage.

In the second round, Doets will face Cam Crabtree. Initially, Jonny Clayton looked set to be his opponent, but the Welshman had to withdraw after he visibly injured himself the day before while still winning the sixth match night of the Premier League.

After his impressive display, Doets is certainly projecting plenty of confidence for the rest of the tournament. “When I feel this comfortable and play like this, I believe I can win anything,” he stated. At the same time, the Dutchman remained realistic about how the match unfolded. “The reason I got so comfortable today was because he missed those darts for 1–1. That helped me relax a bit. I don’t expect Cam to miss those chances tomorrow.”

Even so, Doets is clearly in a very good place. “I’m in a really good place right now. I’m very confident, and I think I’m going to win tomorrow as well.” The Dutchman will therefore hope he can sustain that level into the next round. If he again gets close to his performance against Masalin, the Dutchman could go a long way this weekend at the European Darts Trophy.