Van den Bergh breathes a sigh of relief after win over Huybrechts: ''This match brought so much pressure''
PDCFriday, 30 December 2022 at 19:30
Dimitri van den Bergh reached the quarter-finals at the World Darts Championship on Friday afternoon for the third time in his career. He defeated compatriot Kim Huybrechts 4-0 in sets at the last sixteen.
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"This match brought so much pressure," Van den Bergh commented after his game to Het Nieuwsblad.
"I was able to do the right things at the right time and put Kim under pressure, but I never expected to win this match this way. Really never. That makes me proud though, because I showed that I am strong in my shoes. It was me or Kim, in the Quarter-Finals of a world championship. This was no friends match because there was a lot at stake, so I'm happy to be through."
For Van den Bergh, it was mainly a mental battle against his compatriot. "I was really extremely nervous when I saw that Kim had won against Peter Wright: Wow, a Belgian clash so that's going to be incredible. I was really shivering when I wanted to train the day after, I didn't know what was going on. Fortunately, one of my best friends was able to reassure me and from then on I knew: OK, back to business. My game, my rhythm, my dream. And suddenly I felt ready for battle, so I went into this match feeling good. Still, I did not expect that I would play so well and that Kim would miss his chances. So I didn't expect this result because it was a tough match. In terms of feeling, this was my best performance of the World Darts Championship so far."
Van den Bergh never made it to the semi-finals in London before. Perhaps against Jonny Clayton he will succeed? "I'm not nervous about throwing against him," said Van den Bergh. "Today was mentally one of the hardest matches I've ever had to play, one I really had a lot of nerves for. I just have to start working hard again and get myself ready. I'm in a good flow, I feel good. I really do. I've made semi-finals and finals at big tournaments before. I'm not afraid of anyone, I just have to do my job and keep the focus."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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