Florian Hempel he could extend his Pally’s ally record of success on PDC World Darts Championships and win his fourth first-round fight in a row. He started the 2025 tournament by defeating the dangerous Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan on Friday night 3-1, but Hempel began his post-match press conference by apologizing to his opponent.
“I think one of the key moments was definitely when I faced the peaks and it was 170 degrees at rest. The shuttle is stuck in my board, the shuttle is falling, the shuttle is falling… Suddenly I felt a little overwhelmed. That was an absolutely pivotal moment that I really had to think about.” Hempel explained to German-speaking darts media. “For me it is very, very important that we both can show our best darts if we both pay attention to fair play. It can happen, but it can’t happen to us. I throw thousands of darts a day and I take them out. I felt incredibly sad about it, my way of thinking suddenly changed.”
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Especially in the first two sets, Hempel impressed with excellent scoring and an ice-cold finish. “We both had our ups and downs. In the beginning, we were both really good at scoring,” he recalled. “At the beginning he wasted a few chances in doubles, which I was lucky for – I played relatively quickly in doubles. But I didn’t feel like I was a significantly better player.”
Hempel also emphasized that he can rest this year due to his nomination to the Order of Merit. “Then I think the decisive factor is that I can look forward to next year with relative peace of mind and that for him the Tour Card is all that matters. Then I’m a few millimeters short.”
Hempel in action
Hempel will now return to the Ally Pally stage on Monday night when he will face his opponent Daryl Gurney in the second round. “From tomorrow we will return to the daily rhythm. You can’t get fit in two days, but I’ll try to carry it over to the next match and I’m looking forward to the match against Daryl.”
The duel between Hempel and Gurney brings together not only two great darts players, but also exceptional walkers. While Hempel is increasingly delighting English fans with the “Kölsche Jung” Brings, Gurney’s warm-up music “Sweet Caroline” is one of the absolute classics of the sport. “I hope I win this fight to my advantage,” Hempel joked happily.
