Within the tungsten-soaked pantheon of elite dart players, DVD isn’t a shiny disc packed with Hollywood blockbusters flogged by Dodgy Dave down the local pub. No – it stands for Dirk van Duijvenbode!
Dutch powerhouse and one of the most entertaining players on the PDC circuit. After a frustrating spell battling nerve damage, The Titan is finally fighting fit and ready to write his own big-screen script.
There was a time, not so long ago, when van Duijvenbode was flying. A run to the 2020 World Grand Prix final put him firmly on the map, and he followed that up by reaching quarter-finals of the European Championship, the Players Championship Finals – then, at Ally Pally. You name it, Dirk was in the business end.
But a couple of years later, injury issues once again reared their ugly head – messing with his action and, more importantly, his confidence. So, where’s his game at now? Let’s ask the man himself:
“To be honest, it’s a bit mixed. Some things are definitely better, others still a work in progress. It all comes down to confidence. My overall play is improving – I’ve been tweaking my set-up, going slightly heavier with my darts, and that seems to be helping. I’ve got a few good ideas I’m trying out that I think will make a difference.
“I’m still having regular physio, but not as often. I never really had pain after the early stages – it was more nerve damage. At the beginning, it was definitely career-threatening. You start to worry whether you can reach that level again. But even while injured, I was playing at a top 40-50 standard, which gave me a bit of comfort. Even if I don’t recover fully, I’ve adapted. And if it clears up completely, I believe I can push much higher. It was real agony at one point – just the way the shoulder worked.
“I want to be fitter and work on that to reduce the chance of it happening again. My specialist said it’s all about prevention now. I want to aim higher now – top 24 and get into the Masters – that feels realistic. I’ll need to do well on TV to get there. Then ideally the top sixteen on the ProTour is another goal. I’m not sure I’ll hit it this year – but I’m getting closer.”
In the build-up to his fourth World Matchplay appearance, fans are starting to see the maximum machine firing on all cylinders again. A couple of deep runs on back-to-back Euro Tours and a Players Championship final suggest things are beginning to click. And to top it off, he’s put in some title defences this season that even compatriot Virgil van Dijk would be proud of.
“So far this year, I’ve managed to defend about 80% of my ranking points from two years ago. I was initially just hoping for at least 50%, so I’m very happy with that.”
Dirk kicks off his Blackpool campaign on Sunday afternoon against former Matchplay champion Rob Cross – and with his wife due to give birth to their second child any day now, it’s a slot that couldn’t have worked out much better:
“The schedule’s perfect for me. If I lose, I’m home in the evening. If I win, I’m still home in the evening. But I couldn’t just sit around for weeks waiting. Rankings and prize money are great – but this is more important. If I get the call, we’ll see what happens.”
He’s not sugar-coating the tour grind either. The idea of jetting around Europe might look glamorous on social media, but in reality – especially with a growing family – it’s a very different story:
“Last September, I was home for just three mornings the whole month. That’s when you start thinking – is this what I want? If you’re not top 16, you’ve realistically got to go to everything, and it’s not always easy.”
Still, if flamboyance, energy, and power scoring are your thing, you’ll agree the sport is in a better place with a techno-loving Dirk van Duijvenbode bouncing onto the stage – arm pumping like he’s at a rave – before smashing the treble twenty with similar ferocity.
With the injuries that once threatened to derail his career now thankfully drifting into the distance, it could soon be Dutch delight once more for the man affectionately known as The Aubergenius.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
