'Alarm bells went off, and I started training hard' - Humiliating defeat and challenging home situation forces Dirk van Duijvenbode to reset

Dirk van Duijvenbode has given an insight on his struggles on the oche, linking it to fatherhood and becoming a dad for the second time. He will be putting that to one side this week as he prepares to take on Michael van Gerwen in the first round of the World Grand Prix.

The Dutchman made his debut in the event back in 2019, unbelievably reaching the final but coming short against Gerwyn Price. Since then, he has failed to make it past the first round, not even qualifying for the competition last year. This year has seen his game return to his old brilliant self at times, with it being desperately needed against an also unpredictable van Gerwen, who has won this event six times from seven final appearances.

"He's in a much better place. He's not always at his best, but he's showing his level again. He's not the same Van Gerwen as in the Matchplay, but I have to focus on myself and make sure I'm at my best," van Duijvenbode said on the Darts Draait Door podcast.

Wake-up call

Van Duijvenbode left the Hungarian Darts Trophy very early after a shock 6-5 defeat against Tom Bissell. He went into the tie as the overwhelming favourite but was unable to fabricate a performance to reflect that. It was a painful loss for The Titan, with negatives swirling all around it. However, he has since turned them into positives as he utilises it as a reality check.

"If you know where it comes from, you can live with it better," he said. "That match was very bad, but at the same time it was also very good. All the alarm bells went off, and I started training hard."

He went on to reveal that it was due to trouble at home. "Things aren't going great with a new baby. She's having trouble feeding and cries a lot," van Duijvenbode said. "That makes things a bit harder at home, and that's why I'm sleeping less. That's also reflected in my game. But then a dramatic match like that is good for resetting."