Noppert beats MVG, Van der Voort also wins in WGP

Wim Blokpoel - The last 2 days the 2021 PDC World Grand Prix first round was played. Yesterday we had an all Dutch clash between Dutch number one Michael van Gerwen and ‘The Freeze’ Danny Noppert. The first set was 2-2 as Van Gerwen had a very poor leg and Noppert comfortably made it 3-2 to win the first set! In set 2 MVG started with a 160 and 171 to leave 170! He then hit Treble 20, Treble 20… but missed the bullseye for a historical nine-darter!! Eventually a 12- and 13-darter saw Mighty Mike go 2-0 up in set 2. At 2-1 however, Noppert suddenly hit a 103 finish!! 2-2 and another last leg, Noppert held throw in 14 darts and had his biggest upset ever!!! He beats the world number three! After the game it turned out Noppert blamed Van Gerwen for stamping and Van Gerwen was angry about that, let’s just hope they won’t have to play World Cup together again…

Danny Noppert - Michael van Gerwen 2-0 (3-2, 3-2)

Earlier on yesterday night Purmerend’s Vincent van der Voort played German number one Gabriel Clemens. Once again a set was 2-2. It was VVDV who hit an 82-finish and 12-darter to win the set 3-2! In the second set got 0-2 down but fought back to another 2-2. In the last leg a 15-darter was enough for Van der Voort to win it again 3-2 and beat Clemens in straight sets! The first World Grand Prix win for the Dutch Destroyer since he made the quarter-finals in 2015, and he now plays Noppert in an all Dutch clash for a place in the quarter-finals!

Vincent van der Voort - Gabriel Clemens 2-0 (3-2, 3-2)

A day earlier Martijn Kleermaker made his WGP debut against Mervyn King. In set 1 Kleermaker got 2-1 up but got broken to 2-2. However, he still got 3 darts to win the set, but missed them! That cost him the set as King won it 3-2. In set 2 Kleermaker missed a lot more doubles, got 0-2 down and couldn’t recover as he lost it 1-3. The Dutch Giant goes out with a poor performance, but hopefully he learns from it and comes back stronger next year!

Martijn Kleermaker - Mervyn King 0-2 (2-3, 1-3)

Last year’s finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode started this years campaign against UK Opsn finalist Luke Humphries. A good start at 1-1 but a lack of trebles followed, as Aubergenius lost the set 1-3. In set 2 DVD was 1-2 down again, but hit a 96 finish to make it 2-2. A load of pressure on leg 5 for Dirk and he couldn’t handle it: a poor last leg and 2-3 defeat. Very disappointing for the Dutchman.

Dirk van Duijvenbode - Luke Humphries 0-2 (1-3, 2-3)

More Dutch Darts tomorrow, with Noppert vs Van der Voort!!!