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Noa-Lynn van Leuven is aiming to return to the World Darts Championship after being beaten on her historic debut at Alexandra Palace.
Van Leuven – the first transgender player to play at the Worlds – posted an 87.06 average and six maximums against Kevin Doets, with the Dutchwoman raising hopes of a famous victory when she won the first set.
Doets leveled the contest by winning a 33-dart leg in the second set before completing a 3-1 victory to set up a second-round reunion with former world champion Michael Smith – the player who took him to the same phase of the last set eliminated the annual competition.
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Doets and Van Leuven had a leg to forget in their first round match
Van Leuven was booed by spectators at the Grand Slam of Darts last month but received a warm welcome ahead of the all-Dutch clash in London. The 28-year-old was happy with her performance, but had to admit that Doets deserved the win.
“I guess they just want to see good darts,” Van Leuven said of the crowd. “Both Kevin and I showed some good darts. I played well the whole game.”
Van Leuven was left to regret that he had no chance to break Doets in the second set
“I guess the difference is a bit of inexperience. He has so much more experience than me. That made the difference in this game. There was only a one point difference in average.”
“He was the better player today. Hopefully I can make it to the Pro Tour next year, play against him again and be the better player. I want to become a better player and the only way to do that is to go. I’m on stage, playing the Challenge Tour, playing the Pro Tour and just playing with the best players there are.”
How Doets managed to beat Van Leuven
Van Leuven responded to defeat in the first leg with an 80 checkout in the next leg and a Shanghai finish to break Doets’ throw before securing victory in the fourth attempt, closing the set with an 18-darter.
Doets grabbed the early lead in the second set but could only watch as Van Leuven scored another 120 finish in the next leg, while the turning point of the match came in the third leg when both players missed numerous chances for the double.
Van Leuven scored two 120 finishes on her debut at Alexandra Palace
Van Leuven failed twice and missed several darts to break Doets, who after several failed visits held the throw on double one for a 33-darter and then hit a 74 finish in the next to take the second set.
Doets took two legs in a row and responded to a 14-darter from Van Leuven to go top in the next leg and take the set, with the Dutchman finishing 76 in the fourth leg to take a 2-1 lead went the stage of victory.
Van Leuven hit six perfect darts en route to a 12-darter to take the set into the decisive final leg, in which Doets held his nerve to secure a hard-fought victory and reach the second round for the second year in a row.
“It was hard, very hard – especially in the beginning,” Doets said said Sky Sports. “She played better than me at the beginning and it was really difficult.”
Regarding the chaotic stage in the second set, Doets added: “Every World Cup has a stage like that. Every single stage I just fought, fought, fought.”
“The crowd was great – they didn’t boo anyone. They didn’t boo me, they were great.”
“I knew I had to beat Noa first, but it feels like the gods wanted to give me another chance (against Michael Smith). It’s a really good feeling and hopefully I beat him on Thursday.”
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