DIMI VOWS TO KEEP SLOW PLAY

DIMITRI Van den Bergh will continue his slow tactics despite getting booed and receiving a social media backlash. 

The new UK Open champion has divided opinion after taking an extended drinks break during the final against Luke Humphries. 

‘The Dreammaker’ was dubbed “incredibly slow” by Humphries in the wake of their dramatic deciding leg epic in Minehead on Sunday night. 

Pundits Wayne Mardle, Rod Studd and Dan Dawson have all defended the Belgian. But ITV’s Chris Mason believed his actions almost cost him the title. 

When asked whether he would continue his slow style, Van den Bergh revealed: “Yes course I will. I always say when you are a professional dart player, it doesn’t matter what game you are in, it doesn’t matter who you play, any game can change your life. 

“If you are under huge pressure and you tell yourself back to basics. I’m doing my job. Feelings can sometimes overtake the way you play. 

“But if you know how to work with feelings, you will be a player like I am at the minute. 

“My sports psychologist says if you can take some time even though the world is watching you, you’re showing that you can handle it.

“We’ve also seen in the past when I’ve played World Cup of Darts and the whole crowd has gone boo and I went to the oche and first dart in. Everyone else is making a sound and the sound is consistent and that is easy for a darts player to accept, not overthink.”

It was Van den Bergh’s second major title having won the World Matchplay in 2020 behind closed doors during the pandemic. 

He was also quick to praise Humphries who was magnanimous despite the defeat.

He added: “That double went in and I needed to lay down. I just needed to lay down. 

“I know that I played the World Matchplay during Covid that I managed to win and played three games in a row against world champions. 

“In front of a crowd winning a major is totally different because the crowd is so involved. 

“I have a lot of fans, I had people against me, for me it was an amazing feeling to be in that position. 

“Even though I had chances to win it 11-8, I still didn’t falter. 

“Luke showed he was a world champion. Afterwards as well, he is a world champion, even in defeat. 

“I said to him ‘I have a lot of respect for you’. Then he went ‘let this one sink in. You deserve it, congratulations. Focus on the feeling’.”