Dimitri Van den Bergh threw fantastic against Dave Chisnall, but his finish faltered. A shortcoming that he had to overcome for his confrontation with Gerwyn Price, the world champion and number 1 in the world.
Van den Bergh soon proved that his previous match no longer haunted his head. Price gave “The Dreammaker” one shot and he struck mercilessly. The world champion was thrown off balance for a while and in no time he was facing a 6-2 deficit.
Price, a former rugby player, tensed up and quickly made things exciting again. With 3 legs in a row he beat Van den Bergh from his cloud: 8-7. By also imitating the traditional dance of “Dancing Dimi”, he tried to get into the head of the defending champion.
But it backfired. Van den Bergh won no less than 6 legs in a row, including with an 11-darter, and came within one leg of the victory. World champion Price was able to resist for a while, but “The Dreammaker” can dream of a second overall victory in a row: 16-9.
Krzysztof Ratajski awaits in the semifinals. “The Polish Eagle” is on paper a lot easier to floor than the world champion. Is the way to the final open?
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In an over-enthusiastic interview, Van den Bergh got the audience a little more in the mood. “On paper it was a very sexy poster: the defending champion against the world champion,” he said. “The crowd was great, they were right behind me.”
“Price was trying to play a mental game with his dance, but it made me laugh. He was trying to get the crowd on his side. I have a lot of respect for Price, but I came here to win. And oh my god, I didn’t beat him, sure!”
“Whether I’m going to take the trophy? I believe in it, so I have to say yes. With this audience, the chance is even greater,” concluded Van den Bergh, who thanked his girlfriend and family.
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