"I didn’t think I would actually win" - Lerena Rietbergen fights her way to Lakeside final after nerve-wracking comeback

In a nerve-wracking semifinal on the iconic Lakeside stage, Lerena Rietbergen impressively secured a spot in the final thanks to a hard-fought victory over the strong-playing Rhian O'Sullivan. The Dutchwoman, who was visibly overcome with emotion after her decisive double, described the victory as “unbelievable” and said it was “still unreal” and that she needed time to let it all sink in.

Rietbergen, who miraculously maintained her composure in the deciding leg, looked back on that crucial moment with amazement. “Normally you don’t think, you just throw. But that time I thought: just high in the 20s; the treble will go itself,” she recounted. “And then I came to the double and I was like: no, now the difficult part. And I got it done. I don’t know how, but I got it done.”

When asked how much nerves were at play, Rietbergen gave a remarkably honest answer. “In the first three sets, it was not that much. But then, coming close to the end and winning, I was like: oh, damn, I can really win this. And then the nerves kicked in,” she said. “I kept telling myself: just high in the 20s, just straight forward. And yeah, I got it done.”

Remarkably, the Dutchwoman was trailing 2–0 in sets at one point, a situation where many players would crack. But despite not believing a comeback was possible, it happened anyway. “Everybody says keep your head high. For me, it’s really difficult,” she explained. “So for me, no, I didn’t think I would actually win, because Rian was playing very good. But somehow I managed to come back.”

She even says that when she was down 2–0, she almost resigned herself to defeat. “I sat here with my mom and I was like: just three more legs and then I’m done. And yeah… it was three more sets — for me,” she said with a laugh.

Sunday’s final awaits her in none other than Deta Hedman, a living legend in women’s darts and an icon on the Lakeside stage. Rietbergen is looking forward to it with healthy excitement.

“I hope it’s going to be a good game for both of us. But honestly, I don’t know what to expect,” she said candidly. “For me, this is new territory. It’s one more game, and then hopefully going home.”

Although Rietbergen is only at the beginning of her international darts career, she notices that the experience she has gained over the past few years is starting to pay off. “I think this is my biggest experience,” she said. “More experience on stage, more experience in nervy situations, more experience in the finals — I will take that.”

The way she fought back from a seemingly hopeless deficit shows tremendous mental resilience. And with the final within reach, Lerena Rietbergen seems ready to take the next big step in her career.