Disastrous finishing was the issue for Van Duijvenbode early on as despite taking out 100 to lead the first set, he lost it 3-1 to go down early. The second set went to a decider and Van Duijvenbode was soon 2-0 down with a 120 checkout seeing Smith surge ahead.
He was staring down the barrel at defeat as Smith claimed a deciding leg third set and went one away from there as Van Duijvenbode made it 23 missed darts at doubles and Smith went to the brink.
But he didn't have match darts from there as Van Duijvenbode clinched it in a decider as the luck finally went his way.
This gave the Dutchman the impetus as he swept the next set without reply to make it 3-2 and a break to go 2-1 up in the sixth set saw him en route to forcing a decider.
Smith had one last flourish in the form of a 126 checkout but Van Duijvenbode surged to the victory from there to deny Smith agonisingly.
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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𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘!
DIRK VAN DUJVENBODE WINS A THRILLER!!
From 3-0 down, the Dutchman turned that game around and snatches a deciding set success over Ross Smith!
What. A. Game.
#WHDarts