Kevin Doets won the all-Dutch clash with Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the first round of the World Darts Championship 3-1. Van Leuven, making her debut at Alexandra Palace, kept the score but ultimately lost to ‘Hawkeye’.
Doets started the match with a 13-darter but missed the mark and finished with a 122-point match to lead 2-0 in the first set. Van Leuven punished it immediately and scored a brilliant 80 for a double 10.
The 28-year-old immediately hit the ball and scored 120 points, securing a 1-2 lead. Doets missed the top dart and tied the score after 80 shots, and then “The Duchess” won the first set with the third dart for a double 20.
In the second set, Doets managed to win the first match again. However, Van Leuven immediately responded with her second 120 finish of the match to level the score. Both players then missed several times, bringing the score to 2-1, but ultimately it was Doets who managed to win the match in 33(!) shots.
These numerous missed doubles didn’t seem to bother either of them as both Van Leuven and Doets finished with twelve darts. Hawkeye” was the first to finish for $74, bringing the set score back to 1-1.
Doets had no appetite for an exciting match and picked up the pace early in the third set. After 14 goals, the 26-year-old quickly took a 2-0 lead. Van Leuven then threw a 14-darter to make it 2-1, but missed two points to equalize. Doets converted a double 10 to take his first lead of the game.
The first part of the fourth set was again Doets’ victory, but Van Leuven took advantage of 2 unsuccessful “Hawkeye” shots and returned to the court. Doets won the next stage, but “The Duchess” threw a great 12-darter to force a deciding stage.
However, this was Van Leuven’s last trick of the match, as Doets decided the match with a double 10 to secure the victory for good. Kevin Doets now has one day of rest before facing 2023 world champion Michael Smith in the second round on Thursday evening.
