Darts World Cup
Coup repeated: Hempel defeats van den Bergh again
Florian Hempel turned a 0-2 set deficit into a win against Dimitri van den Bergh. photo
© Zac Goodwin/PA Wire/dpa
Florian Hempel turns up the heat at the World Cup and throws star player Dimitri van den Bergh out of the tournament. The victory has another direct consequence for the darts professional.
“I’m the man for comebacks,” said Hempel during the winner’s interview. Two years and one day ago, Hempel had already won this duel at the World Cup, 3-1. The former handball player got off to a weak start, but then improved noticeably and actually prevailed in the end thanks to strong nerves.
Victory is important for Hempel for two reasons
Last year’s semi-finalist van den Bergh, who even had match darts in the fourth set, has to cope with a very bitter early exit at Alexandra Palace. For Hempel, the victory is important for two reasons: He remains in the race at the World Cup and will face Stephen Bunting or Ryan Joyce (both England) in round three. Hempel is also defending his Tour Card, which allows him to take part in many important tournaments in 2024.
Compatriot Gabriel Clemens had already reached the third round and will now face the English world-class professional Dave Chisnall. Ricardo Pietreczko still has a chance of reaching the third round against Callan Rydz on Saturday. A duel with top favorite Luke Humphries from England would await him.