PC4: Semi-Final for MVG, Quarter-final for DVD

Wim Blokpoel - Today was the final day of 4 pro tour events as Players Championship 4 2021 was played. There was pretty decent success for Dutch Darts. First of all there finally was a bit of success for world number 2 and 3 time World Champion Michael van Gerwen. He started already with his best performance of the day as MVG averaged 105.3 in a 6-2 win over Adam Gawlas. Round 2 saw Mighty Mike average 103 in another 6-2 win against World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks. Into the board final MVG played Kim Huybrechts. Another astonishing average, 101.4, and the third 6-2 win for the Green Machine. The last 16 saw MVG face surprisingly enough, Jake Jones. This time an average of almost 94 was enough to win 6-3 for MVG. In the Quarter-Finals MVG averaged 100.5, got annoyed for unknown reasons, but still won 6-2 against Latvian Madars Razma despite being 0-2 behind. The first semi-final of the week for MVG were also the end of the day as he lost 3-7 to Australian Damon Heta. It was a good day for MVG, but after all still a little disappointing week as he didn’t reach the final once.

But there was more Dutch success, from Dirk van Duijvenbode who had been very solid this week so far. Aubergenius started brilliant on the stream with an average of 102.5 to beat former Lakeside champion Scott Mitchell 6-1. In round 2 DVD demolished Max Hopp 6-1 and in the third round he got 5-0 up and then beat Ryan Searle 6-3. In the last 16 Dirk managed to reach his first Quarter-Final of the week as he averaged an absolute superb 105.6 to win 6-2 against James Wade. The Quarter-Final however was the end as Dirk also lost to Heta, 6-3.

The final Dutch success came from yesterdays semi-finalist ‘The Freeze’ Danny Noppert. Danny started with a 6-3 win over Luke Woodhouse, despite Woodhouse hitting a nine-darter against him. In the last 64 a solid 96 average was enough for Noppert to beat Polish Krzysztof Kciuk comfortably 6-1. In his board final Noppert once more played friday’s winner Callan Rydz. Just like yesterday Noppert got over the line 6-5 against Rydz, with a 98.5 average. Rydz himself even averaged 101.6. The last 16 was it for Noppert as he lost 5-6 himself there to Michael Smith. In the end it has been a very solid and good week for Noppert.

There were even 6 more Dutch players who won £500 by reaching the second round today! Yesterdays winner Raymond van Barneveld beat Geert Nentjes 6-4 in round 1 while averaging almost 99, with Nentjes averaging 102 himself. In round 2 RVB was another victim for Dutch killer Damon Heta, as he lost to him 4-6. Vincenr van der Voort averaged almost 102 himself in round 1, where he beat Irish William O’Connor 6-1. In the last 64 VVDV got edged out 5-6 by young talent John Brown. Maik Kuivenhoven had a 6-5 result himself in round 1, but he did win it against Aaron Beeney. Unfortunately, Kuivenhoven lost 0-6 to Jose de Sousa in round 2. Ron The Bomb Meulenkamp had another first round win, 6-2 to Austrian Harald Leitinger, but fellow Austrian Rowby-John Rodriguez got revenge, as Meulenkamp lost 5-6 to him. Young Dutch talent Luc Peters, who doesn’t even have a tourcard, got another win on the tour as he averaged 97.3 to beat Joe Murnan 6-5 in round 1 despite Murnan averaging 101.3 himself. In round 2 Peters lost 3-6 to Razma. The final Dutch win for today came from Westervoort’s Jermaine Wattimena who averaged a 101.3 in a brilliant 6-2 win over Scottish Ryan Murray. In the last 64 Wattimena lost as well, 3-6 to Nick Kenny.

There also were some Dutch defeats, apart from Nentjes 7 more Dutch players lost in round 1. It turned out to be a very dissapointing week for Niels Zonneveld as he didn’t win a game and lost 4-6 to Jeff Smith today. The same applies for Martijn Kleermaker who lost 3-6 to German Steffen Siepmann. Jeffrey de Zwaan didn’t have a great week either as he lost once more in round 1 to Justin Pipe 3-6. Berry van Peer who had a great run yesterday, now lost in round one 1-6 to Rob Cross. Other first round defeats were for Jelle Klaasen (2-6 to John Brown), Derk Telnekes (4-6 to Jack Main), and Lorenzo Pronk (2-6 to Ryan Joyce). I would like to wish all Dutchmen good luck next week, where the guys who played this week will be again, along with Maikel Verberk, Kevin Doets, Jitse van der Wal, Damian Mol, Gino Vos and Ryan de Vreede. Good luck all!