Florian Hempel made a brilliant comeback at the World Darts Championship in London and once again knocked Belgian star Dimitri van den Bergh out of the tournament. The 33-year-old from Cologne turned around a 0-2 deficit with a sensational comeback and surprisingly won 3-2.
“I’m the man for comebacks,” said Hempel during the winner’s interview. Martin Schindler followed him directly into the third round. He defeated the Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena 3-1.
Two years and one day ago, Hempel had already won the duel with the Belgian at the World Cup, back then with a score of 3-1. The former handball player got off to a weak start, but then improved noticeably and actually prevailed in the end thanks to strong nerves.
Victory is important for Hempel for two reasons
Last year’s semi-finalist van den Bergh, who even had match darts in the fourth set, has to cope with a very bitter early exit at Alexandra Palace. For Hempel, the victory is important for two reasons: He remains in the race at the World Cup and will face Stephen Bunting or Ryan Joyce (both England) in round three. Hempel is also defending his Tour Card, which allows him to take part in many important tournaments in 2024. After Christmas, Schindler has a duel with the unseeded Scott Williams. Making it to the World Cup round of 16 for the first time seems within reach for the 27-year-old.
Compatriot Gabriel Clemens had already reached the third round and will now face the English world-class professional Dave Chisnall. For the first time ever, three Germans are in round three of the World Cup. Ricardo Pietreczko also has a chance of reaching the third round against Callan Rydz on Saturday. A duel with top favorite Luke Humphries from England would await him.
