Van Duijvenbode admits World Matchplay preparation far from ideal: "I would have preferred to come here the day before"

Dirk van Duijvenbode is one of multiple debutants in the World Matchplay this year after qualify through a highly successful 2020 and also on the ProTour this year.

Van Duijvenbode though due to the nature still of the travel restrictions and the recent Super Series has had to stay in the UK long term which is far from ideal he admitted to DartsNews.com this week.

“I would have preferred to have come here the day before. Now I'm on a corridor training with not so great facilities. Normally you are just at home with your own bed and so on. I'd rather have that than stay here for a while."

There is plenty to do in Blackpool, but Van Duijvenbode is not the type of person to be a tourist there. ''A little work, training and Playstations. I'm not really one to see the city, I don't care that much. At least not in this city, otherwise I might still do it," said the 2020 World Grand Prix finalist.

Clayton clash

Van Duijvenbode makes his debut at the World Matchplay against Jonny Clayton. They also faced each other at the beginning of this year at the UK Open and Clayton won convincingly 10-3. Van Duijvenbode was in better shape than now, he thinks.

"He threw really, really well. It's not often that someone is so good against me. At one point he was at 118 average and he finished at 108 average. You don't spend much time with a match like that, because he doesn't play like that every time. If he throws like that, there's not much I can do about it."

However, the last head-to-head game was won by the Dutchman, last month during the fourth edition of the Super Series in Milton Keynes. Or is that a psychological advantage? "Maybe for me, but don't think he'll mind. There is a world of difference between floor tournaments and television tournaments.”