Van den Bergh, the number 8 in the world, successively defeated Devon Petersen, Dave Chisnall (who had beaten him at the World Cup), Gerwyn Price (number 1 and world champion) and Krzysztof Ratajski, but in the final his Scottish friend Peter Wright was , number 2 in the world, simply the strongest (18-9).
“I am very proud of my course, even though I lost the final,” an emotional Dreammaker said last night. “In all my matches I had to give everything, I never gave up. Also today.”
“But Peter Wright was outstanding. I immediately told him that he is the deserved winner. And that he should enjoy the feeling of raising this cup in the air, like I did last year.”
It’s not that Van den Bergh threw badly, he still averaged more than 100, but he missed too many doubles. And Wright barely missed anything. “During the match I said to myself: ‘Never give up, keep fighting and always keep playing with your heart and soul.’
“But Wright won, I burst into tears. Out of disappointment, but in retrospect I can say that I gave everything.”
Then came a deep sigh: “I’m relieved, all the pressure is gone. I told Peter that I will come back stronger. I am now number 5 in the world and I am still only 27 years old, time is on my side. “
“Peter called himself the master and he showed that he is the master. But the apprentice comes back. The Dreammaker will always chase his dreams.”
Last year at his win in Milton Keynes there was no audience in the room. Now it was packed in Blackpool. And they loved Van den Bergh, they sang to him. And the feeling was mutual: “They blew me off my socks, I keep repeating it and want to thank the audience again.”
