For the first time since he made his debut in 2019, he reached the quarterfinals Ryan Joyce ensured a post-Christmas return to PDC World Darts Championships. “Relentless” bounced back from his defeat to the former UK Open champion Danny Noppert 3-1.
After Noppert won the first set, Joyce counterattacked strongly, winning the next three sets in a spin that forced the Dutchman to keep playing. Pally’s ally disappointment. Joyce will now face 20th seed Ryan Searle from Canadian number one Matt Campbell in the third round.
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“I’m really happy that I managed to move on. It was a really difficult match. I know Danny didn’t play his best match, but I really struggled at the beginning, so I’m delighted that I could gain a little more in the next one. a few sets to finish the match,” Joyce recalled at the post-match press conference. “I thought I was lucky to win the second set, he missed the doubles and went up 2-0 in sets, and then I thought, ‘It’s your lucky day. He let you go, you have to punish him now and I made some really good shots at the right time.”
Despite his victory and the impressive form he has shown on TV over the past few months, Joyce says there is still a long way to go. “I can add 20 points to my average when I actually play. But compared to top players like Luke Humphries and Luke Littler, the really top players get them a lot more often than I do,” he explains. “I am still dangerous in this competition. Maybe I can produce it in a one-off match and field some really good players if I’m in top form.”
“Now I’m going to relax and enjoy Christmas. I won’t think about darts until I get back here,” adds Joyce. “I put a lot of practice into preparing for this match and all that training, all that hard work showed in the first set. So I won’t worry about anything now, I’ll just switch off and try to enjoy Christmas.”
