In a stunning opening day upset at the PDC World Darts Championship, former champion Peter Wright has shown his class by reaching out to a devastated Dimitri Van den Bergh following the Belgian's shock first-round elimination.
A Devastating Defeat for The Dreammaker
The tournament's fifth day at Alexandra Palace witnessed a major surprise as world number 23 Dimitri Van den Bergh was comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Scottish debutant Darren Beveridge. The 31-year-old Belgian, known as 'The Dreammaker', struggled to find any rhythm against an opponent nicknamed 'Ice Cold', who produced a dominant performance to secure a famous victory.
Van den Bergh took to Instagram shortly after the match to express his despair, admitting he had no confidence or self-belief on the stage despite working hard in preparation. He congratulated Beveridge and vowed to return, but the defeat marks another low in what has been a challenging year for the player.
Snakebite's Words of Encouragement
Following his own first-round victory over Noa-Lynn van Leuven earlier in the day, two-time world champion Peter Wright offered heartfelt public support to his long-time friend. Speaking to the press, 'Snakebite' revealed he hadn't been in touch with Van den Bergh recently but extended an open invitation for a chat.
"Dimi's a class player, he'll be back," Wright stated. "He's going through things. He's got a family, which is more important than darts... You've got your family. He wants to be with his kids and then trying to earn a living in darts with players who want to destroy you if you're just not quite on your game. It's ruthless."
A Dream Realised for Debutant Beveridge
While one star fell, another saw a lifelong ambition realised. Darren Beveridge, a 33-year-old aeroplane parts quality inspector from Scotland, described the win as "one of the greatest days of my life". Having dreamed of playing at Ally Pally since he was 13, the debutant was overjoyed at securing his maiden victory on the sport's biggest stage.
"It's very, very surreal. It's like a childhood dream of mine," an elated Beveridge said post-match. "I'm absolutely over the moon." His reward is a second-round clash against Latvia's Madars Razma, ranked 46th in the world, where another strong performance could help him secure a coveted PDC Tour Card.
Meanwhile, Peter Wright progresses to face Arno Merk in the next round, confidently stating his belief that he can win a third world title. The sporting drama continues at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship, where dreams are made and shattered in equal measure.
