Did you like the loco loco scenario of the football World Cup final between France and Argentina? Wait until we tell you about the final of the World Darts Championships, which saw Englishman Michael Smith become world champion on Tuesday for the first time in a “historic” match according to all observers of the discipline. We ourselves, who knew nothing about it before this morning, watch the third set over and over – it takes three for a set, and seven sets to win the match – quite simply “exceptional” between the two champions: a table of Van Gogh, a sculpture by Rodin, a treble climb by Daniel Balavoine, choose the metaphor you like.
BUT BEFORE THE ORGASM A POINT REGULATION. We explain how to achieve a perfect round of 501 points in nine darts, called by purists “nine-dart finish”, to (not) pronounce with Kylian Mbappé’s Kentucky accent:
- Players must achieve the highest possible score on the first two “throws” of three arrows, usually three triple 20s. That is 501 – 180 x 2 = 141 points.
- During the last throw with 141 points, which must be concluded by a double, the players then have this possibility to reach 0, and win the round: triple 20, triple 19 and double 12, or triple 20, triple 15 and double 18 .
- But players generally prefer to start the last throw with 144 points (you must then make two triple 20s and a triple 19 on the second throw) since it is easier for them to finish on the third throw with two triple 20s, then a double 12. And thus aim for two areas, rather than three as seen in the previous example.
OIt comes back to Tuesday evening and the third leg of the final: 1’34 of furious madness at Alexandra Palace in London filled to the hilt.
” First draft : The Dutch triple world champion, Michael Van Gerwen, immediately puts the pressure on Michael Smith by achieving 180 points, the highest score possible, thanks to three triple 20s.
The tone is set, but it was without counting on the Englishman, who responds tit for tat without flinching with 180 points also in the bag.
» Second throw : as usual, the triple world champion continues to put pressure on his opponent, while putting himself in the best conditions for the last throw by getting two triple 20s, and a triple 19.
Not enough to raise eyebrows Michael Smith, who made him the choice to chain the triple 20s three times in front of a delirious crowd to go down to 141 points, a position a little less comfortable than his opponent as we saw more high.
» Third jet : Better placed in theory with only two zones to aim for (two triple 20s and a double 12), the Dutchman hit the mark with his first two arrows… but missed the double 12 by a few millimeters, which would have enabled him to conclude the round! Smith, who must therefore aim for three different areas, wipes his right hand on his leg, blows between his fingers, and reaches the triple 20, then the triple 19… before concluding with a double 12 which literally melts a fuse for the public and to the commentator: “The most incredible dart round you will experience in your life”, NOTHING LESS LADIES.
“It has never happened in history”
501 points in nine darts in these conditions, it looks like an “exceptional” round confirms Thibault Tricol, the only Frenchman to live darts in France. “Succeeding in nine darts is less and less rare as the overall level is only progressing. But this is during the World Championships, and with the pressure the players miss more often. What marks the spirits is that the two players follow each other so closely on the same round. In general, when a player manages to make 180 in one end, it puts pressure on the opponent, who misses more easily. It has never happened in the history of darts that a player manages to make two volleys with three triples and the opponent answers it, usually he cracks. It’s very rare to see two players at this level, and that Smith manages to finish in his third end in the final of the World Championships, it’s simply exceptional. Everyone thought he was bound to crack.
Because can you imagine that Michael Smith was previously considered like the “Poulidor des darts”, each time with defeats in the ten finals of major tournaments in which he participated. To the point of being even sometimes laughed at by the fans. Until Tuesday therefore, since not content with having made the perfect shot in the third round, he never relaxed his concentration to finally win the match, and his first world title.
Everyone agrees that it’s a historic final in terms of product play, and the presence of the two players who are ultimately in the best shape this year. But as in all sports, the finals are always special to play, we saw it well at the Football World Cup, it is sometimes complicated to get into it. The two players started very strong, maintaining a consistency of excellence, despite the two hours of play,” said Thibault Tricol.
Give visibility
Swann Borselino, journalist and consultant for the channel the team on darts, while practicing discipline, simply puts this final “at the top of the game”, and the third round as “the most beautiful round in history”.
Enough to give a little boost to the discipline outside England, the country of darts, and the Netherlands and Germany, which manages to fill halls of 30,000 people for certain competitions. “We are a step behind in France compared to abroad. But this kind of highlights can make it possible to talk about darts and give some visibility, ”says Thibault Tricol. The French darts player is trying to contribute to this by trying to qualify for the next world championships, “because there is nothing better than French people who take part in it to make the discipline known”. I promise, the day it happens, we’ll be the first to deliver.