Van Duijvenbode sees difference in mindset to Van Gerwen: "I can play a good tournament without winning"

Last week Dirk van Duijvenbode played together with Michael van Gerwen at the World Cup of Darts. The Dutch duo were eliminated in the last eight by the eventual winner Scotland.

Van Duijvenbode made his debut in the tournament but because he was partnered by three-time world champion Van Gerwen, the expectations were higher than when he plays a tournament individually.

"Expectations grow along with your team mate of course. There is only one thing that counts", he explains in conversation with Double Trouble. The mindset of his is slightly different than that of Van Gerwen. "I do come to win, but I can also play a good tournament without winning and that is not the case for someone like that''.

Last year Van Duijvenbode had his breakthrough year with a final at the World Grand Prix, which he then followed up with a quarterfinal place at the PDC World Darts Championship. This year he took another step forward by winning his first PDC ranking title in April.

After that, however, he fell somewhat silent, but there is a reason for that.

"Because of an injury I had on my shoulder since March. I have got rid of that now. Only my confidence isn't back yet, which I had then. That just takes time and you have to win matches for that. But for this tournament there were not many matches, so that was difficult."

Meanwhile, the run-up to the World Darts Championships has began and until then Van Duijvenbode will regularly make an appearance at further TV tournaments. The big target is a debut in the top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit.

"In my current form I am different. I hope I will start playing well again and then I will see. Normally the top-16 is the goal. On the provisional ranking before the World Championship, I am fourteenth. That means that when I win one or two matches on the TV tournaments, I am in the top-16. That would be great."