Mike De Decker failed to qualify for the second round of the Dutch Darts Championship. 'The Real Deal' went down 6-5 against Kevin Doets in the opening round.
De Decker took a 5-4 lead, but then saw Doets take the last two legs. During the match his opponent was loudly supported, with De Decker himself being pelted with a chorus of boos and jeers. "You just know it, don't you. The Dutch are generally chauvinistic and it shows again," De Decker told Sportnieuws.nl. "Can they learn something from Wieze (where the Belgian Darts open takes place)? Yes, of course. In Belgium it is sporting: they are for the Belgians, but they are also sporting towards opponents and they don't do that here at all. But yes, you have to learn to deal with that and I knew that beforehand, so it's not down to that. Kevin did throw his doubles at the right moment, something I failed to do. So he deservedly won this match."
For De Decker, this defeat also means bad news heading into the World Cup of Darts, which takes place in Frankfurt at the end of next month. The 28-year-old Belgian knew he had to win the tournament this weekend to ensure his participation in the nation's tournament at the end of next month.
However, there is still a chance that De Decker can still play, although he no longer has it in his own hands. Dimitri Van den Bergh, the highest ranked Belgian on the world ranking list, is sure of a place. Kim Huybrechts is also above Decker in the world rankings, but is currently rehabilitating from a double collarbone fracture. It remains uncertain for now whether Huybrechts will get fit in time for the World Cup of Darts. If not, De Decker is ready to replace him.
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