Van den Bergh sends statement after Clayton win: “If Dimitri rocks up the way he can everyone has to fear me”
PDCMonday, 02 January 2023 at 13:00
In a tense, tight battle between Dimitri Van den Bergh and Jonny Clayton, it was the Belgian who emerged the victor, making it through to the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship for the very first time in his career.
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"I feel like I'm one step closer to making my dreams come true," Van den Bergh reflected post-match. "It was a real battle. There were a few times that I felt comfortable and confident and I seemed to produce a chance. Normally, especially in the tournament so far, when I produce a chance I take it but this time I didn't."
In a rollercoaster matchup where neither player could truly wrestle control of the momentum, it was Van den Bergh who began to play his best darts as the game neared its climax. Firing in a total of 13 maximums, Van den Bergh rallied from 3-2 down to win the final three sets and finally end his quarter-final woes at the third attempt.
Having twice before reached the last eight at the Ally Pally, losing out to Rob Cross and Nathan Aspinall in 2018 and 2020 respectively, the Dreammaker was over the moon to finally reach the semi-finals. "I'm stoked. I'm really happy," he said. "It's special to finally pull through. They always say 'third time is the right time' and today it happened."
Van den Bergh's opponent in the semi-finals will be the three-time former World Champion, Michael van Gerwen. Despite the unenviable task that lies ahead of him, Van den Bergh is high on confidence. "I'm not afraid of anybody. If Dimitri rocks up the way he can everyone has to fear me, it doesn't matter how good you are."
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Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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