After the first New Year’s Eve in London and the brilliant victory over darts leader Gerwyn Price, Gabriel Clemens could really use a little sleep. “I can’t put it into words, I’ll probably only realize it at night. I’m super happy and played a good game,” said the 39-year-old from Saarland on Sunday evening after dominating the muscle man Price 5-1 and so on had ended as world number one. Clemens himself will now face English world-class professional Michael Smith on Monday (8.30 p.m. / Sport1 and DAZN) in the World Cup semifinals.
Price had reached deep into the box for psychological tricks. When the score was 1: 3, the former rugby professional suddenly came on stage with fat headphones and played with them – such a scene is extremely unusual even in the darts cabinet of curiosities. “I would have thought that he would take them off again. He didn’t do that. My goal was just to win the sentence,” said Clemens at DAZN. At the 2021 World Cup, the “German Giant” became the first German round of 16 – at the 2023 World Cup he is the first quarter and semi-finalist. And soon also finalists?
The game against “Bully Boy” Smith, who only lost the World Cup final against Scotsman Peter Wright last year, is again scheduled for German prime time and will be played before the second semi-final between Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands) and Dimitri van den Bergh (Belgium ) discharged. “I’m just looking forward to going back to the Ally Pally tomorrow. I’m assuming that it will be besieged by the German fans again,” said Clemens, who is once again an outsider. “The Ally Pally is German, definitely.”
In the biggest game of his career, Clemens unpacked an outstanding performance and duped the big favorites over long stretches. Germany’s number one played an average of 99.94 points, he scored almost twice as many throws at doubles and converted more than twice as many. “I already thought I could do it. But I knew it would be difficult. I had to play my top level,” said Clemens.
Ironically, after a rather weak year 2022, the absolute crowning glory at the tournament in London, which is endowed with 2.5 million pounds, is now possible. Price paid Clemens respect after his clear defeat on stage and later commented on Instagram rather cryptically about the future. He does not know if he will ever return to Alexandra Palace. It’s different with Clemens: He’ll be in a World Cup semi-final on Monday evening on the world’s biggest darts stage.
