"The attention I got after that match is really incredible" - Kevin Doets in awe with response after surprise Smith win

Kevin Doets caused a shock earlier this World Championship by sending second-seeded Michael Smith home. The Sweden-based Dutchman will take on Krzysztof Ratajski in the third round after the Christmas break.

Doets was already close to a win against Smith in his World Cup debut last year, so this year he succeeded. "The adrenaline I had at the end of that match I have had before, but then I didn't win. Now that adrenaline could finally come out in a good way," said Doets.

"That gives confidence that I can really beat such big men on the podium. I've beaten almost the entire top once, but never on stage. During the World Series of Darts Finals in September (against Rob Cross, ed.) I missed four matchdarts and things went wrong again. At some point you start thinking: will it ever happen again? After the win over Smith, all that emotion just came out and you're super happy. This gives so much confidence towards the next match and the whole tournament."

Kevin Doets in action

Attention

Doets was overwhelmed by the amount of messages he received after his shock against Smith. "The attention I got after that match is really incredible, I haven't even really been able to answer all the messages. There were some really nice ones in there. For example, from a former colleague I hadn't spoken to in eight years, since my first job. That was at the New York Pizza in Almere."

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The 26-year-old Dutchman took advantage of the Christmas break at the World Darts Championship to travel back to Sweden for a while. There he lives with his friends and their infant son. "He is really going to discover his first Christmas now, so instead of staying another seven or eight days in London, I went back to Stockholm. I have to experience this""

"Monday night there was Bingolotto. Then you play bingo all night long, through the TV," he says. "I think there is bingo like that every week or so, but at Christmas and New Year's Eve with special prizes. Then you can win a million Swedish kronor, for example, about 100,000 euros."

100,000 euros that is exactly the amount a semifinalist gets at the World Darts Championship. "Then I just have to get through three more rounds at the World Championship.."