World Darts Championship: Noa-Lynn van Leuven beaten by Kevin Doets in historic Alexandra Palace debut | Darts News happymamay

Noa-Lynn van Leuven has set her sights on returning to the World Darts Championship once again after losing on her historic debut at Alexandra Palace.

Van Leuven – the first transgender player to compete at the World Championships – posted an average of 87.06 and a maximum of six against Kevin Deutz, raising the Dutchman’s hopes of a famous victory as she took the first set.

Deutz leveled the match by winning a 33-dart game in the second set before wrapping up a 3-1 win, setting up a second round meeting with former world champion Michael Smith – the player he had knocked out in the same final stretch. Competition of the year.

Van Leuven was booed by fans at the Grand Slam of Darts last month, but she received a warm reception in London before the all-Dutch match, where the 28-year-old expressed her happiness with her performance, but the score against Deutz deserved the win.

“I think they just want to see good darts,” Van Leuven said of the crowd. “Kevin and I showed some good arrows. I was playing well throughout the match.

“I think the difference is due to lack of experience. He has a lot more experience than me. That’s what made the difference in this match. There was only one point difference in the averages.

“He was the better player today. Hopefully next year I will make it to the Pro Tour and I will play with him again and be the better player. I want to become a better player and the only way to do that is to go.” “Going out on that stage, playing the Challenge Tour, playing the Pro Tour and playing with the best players out there.”

How Doets held on to beat Van Leuven

Van Leuven responded to the first-leg loss by firing 80 points in the next round and pulling off a Shanghai finish to break Doets, before taking out the tops at the fourth attempt to close out the set with an 18-shot lead.

Doets had the early advantage in the second set but could only watch as Van Leuven scored another 120 points in the second leg, while the turning point of the match came in the second leg when both players squandered several chances in the double.

Van Leuven was broken twice and missed several darts to break Doets, who held the double – after several failed visits – to throw 33 bets and then had a 74 in the next set to secure the second set.

Deutz took back-to-back legs and responded to 14 darts from Van Leuven to edge the ensuing set to win the set, with the Dutchman finishing with a 76 in the fourth set to take a 2-1 lead and within a minute. Victory leg.

Van Leuven fired six perfect darts en route to 12 darts to take the set to the final playoff, where Deutz held his nerve to pull out a hard-fought win and reach the second round for the second year in a row. .

“It was difficult, very difficult – especially in the beginning,” Dewitts said He told Sky Sports. “I played better than I did at the beginning and it was really tough.”

“In every world championship, there’s a leg like this,” Deutz added of the chaotic match in the second set. “In every leg I was fighting and fighting and fighting.”

“The crowd were amazing – they didn’t boo anyone. They didn’t boo me, they were great.

“I knew I had to defeat Noah first, but it seemed like the gods wanted to give me another chance [against Michael Smith]. “It feels really good and hopefully I can get over it on Thursday.”

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