01/05/2023

Van Duijvenbode fears cruciate ligament injury after falling on stage: "Immediately felt something was wrong"

In one of the unfortunate, stand-out moments of the European Tour so far this year, Dirk van Duijvenbode ended up on the floor whilst doing his usual walk-on routine.

Despite styling out the fall and battling through the pain to win the match against Dylan Slevin in a last-leg decider, the Dutchman fears the injury could be a serious one. "I knew exactly what I felt," says Van Duijvenbode to AD.nl. "An MRI scan? Yes, I think so, but I already partly know. I hope it's not my posterior cruciate ligament. Last time I couldn't walk at all, now I can lean on it a bit "So we'll have to see. I can't say much about it yet, but I'm afraid of my meniscus or my posterior cruciate ligament."

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In the next round against Stephen Bunting, the pain would prove too much. "On Saturday I just threw up from the pain and now I don't feel very well. You just have pain all day long, that sucks."

"I probably wouldn't have thrown in another country, because I was really in a lot of pain, but in Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands... That's once a year, then I'm never going to give up. My girlfriend immediately brought my brace on Saturday and I just tried my best but it wasn't enough. I'm sorry about this. If you want to do one right, it's this one, but this completely bothered me. It's my standing leg and it's hard to find a good position, I'm sweating too much because it takes so much energy''

Own fault

"But yes, my fault," continues the Aubergenius. Normally I kept my leg strong by training my legs twice a week, but I haven't been able to do that for half a year now. I felt very good about myself, but I'm afraid I have to take a step back now. We have such a busy schedule that it is also difficult to operate. Well, I still don't know what's going on. I hope it's not too bad."

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Just when you think you've seen it all! 😳

Dirk van Duijvenbode with a walk-on to remember in Leeuwarden!

The Dutchman takes an almighty tumble, but he manages to style it out! 😂

📺 https://t.co/M782z4qQ7i | #ET6 pic.twitter.com/z0ENDKkLVG
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) April 29, 2023