Florian Hempel: One for the big moments

Et was in April when the Alexandra Palace closed its doors for Florian Hempel. The Cologne player lost the final of the Super League Germany after a dramatic course with 10:11 against Martin Schindler. His opponent bought his ticket for the World Cup, while Hempel drove home disappointed. “Actually, I only wanted to finish in the top 16 at the tournament in order to qualify for the next year. But when you’re so close, you obviously want to win and go to the World Cup. The topic was then completely ticked off for me, ”he recalls. At that time he looked for and found his place among the best Germans in Niedernhausen. Today he is one of the 64 best players in the world at the World Cup.

Hempel took revenge on Sunday evening on the biggest stage in darts for that defeat in the final eight months ago and beat Schindler 3-0 in the first round of the world championship. After an outstanding debut year on the professional tour, he finally made it to London. Although he did not win the Super League and for private reasons he only joined the ProTour in July.

“I don’t want to be home for Christmas”

Participation in itself was the culmination of an exceptionally successful year despite the adversities. The victory at the World Cup debut and the associated £ 15,000 prize money are now on the balance sheet as unexpected and welcome bonuses. And who can, given his wet research approach on the board, say with certainty that the line is really being drawn under this? Hempel is one for the big moments and the big stages. One who can get carried away when he gets carried away with his own game. The 31-year-old doesn’t freeze in front of big names, rather he seems to grow from it. Check with Peter Wright, number two in the world rankings. The Scot played two months ago at the European Championship against Hempel on his debut in front of TV cameras – and lost.

“Dimi is a great guy and great player, World Match Play Champion, number five in the world, World Series finalist,” says Hempel about his next opponent Dimitri van den Bergh. A sentence like a Wikipedia entry. To conclude from this that he, who only threw his first arrows four years ago in a Cologne flat share and thus initiated the change from second division handball player to professional darts, sees no chance for himself, is wrong. “For once, I don’t want to be home for Christmas,” he says and laughs: “I would like to stay here.”

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Fallon Sherrock bei Darts-WM

Now London is anything but a popular travel destination in these Omikron-shaped days, but the third round will only be played after the holidays, so Hempel and his girlfriend would like to stay in the player’s hotel a little longer.

New partner for practicing in the hotel

To prepare for the duel on Tuesday evening with the favored Belgian (live from 8 p.m. on Sport1 and DAZN), however, he will have to look for a new training partner after he has sent his old one home. The day before their match, Hempel and Schindler had thrown arrows in the hotel’s practice room. And on the first weekend in December they met for a joint preparation weekend at Gabriel Clemens’s home, and even played against each other several times in the World Cup format.

The matches were always close and therefore very different from Sunday. A 3-0, it couldn’t be any clearer, although Schindler had actually acted on an equal footing with his training partner for the entire duration. “Martin didn’t deserve a 3-0 draw here. Neither of us played our best game, we touched each other a bit. That shouldn’t really happen to us, “said Hempel:” Besides, the sentences are deceptive. It didn’t feel so clear up there. “

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Not even below. And as if he wanted to make it clear to the last of the 3000 spectators at Alexandra Palace what exactly made the difference, he ended the German duel with a high finish to victory. 114 points for the third set after a 156 gave him the decisive break in the first round. The highlight of the second set was his 158 checkout, with which he again took the serve from the Strausberger. The fact that he still conceded the rebreak after five mistakes on the double 9 did not change that: three times he deleted more than 100 points with three arrows. They were decisive for winning the set three times. He just had the better timing. And a good feeling for the situation, as he proved by putting on double-20 on his last take.

“Since I got my prototype from my supplier, I’ve met tops,” said Hempel, whose favorite is actually the double-18: “When I was training with Martin and Gaga at the beginning of December, I already told them: ‘Hey guys, me meet tops. I’m getting really dangerous in the sport. ‘”

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Gabriel “Gaga” Clemens should see it for himself on Monday and Tuesday. The Saarlander, who has already qualified for the second round as number 25 on the seed list, has meanwhile arrived in London and is likely to take on Schindler’s role on the Practice Board. The duo could otherwise have a future. With his success, Hempel has put himself in a good starting position to represent Germany next to Clemens at the World Cup of Darts next year: “Why not ?! The chance is there. “

With the win, Hempel improved to 74th place in the world rankings, just 6500 pounds behind Schindler (66th) and 9500 pounds behind Max Hopp (61st). Another 10,000 pounds would be due for reaching the third round of the World Cup. Hempel would be the new German number two and with his overtaking maneuver could theoretically ensure that Hopp falls out of the Top64 and loses his eligibility for the professional tour.

“The top 64 are the goal”

“I would be very sorry to take Max’s tour card. But I play darts for myself. And if it should be my victory in the end that ensures it, then I haven’t done anything wrong, ”said Hempel, who with his victory over Schindler also thwarted a direct competitor Hopps. The 25-year-old will have the card for another year after qualifying in 2021, but would have overtaken Hopp in the ranking with a first round win.

So a good outcome for the “Maximiser”, who was also allowed to feel like the winner of the German duel and will then have benevolently registered that with Fallon Sherrock (2: 3 against Steve Beaton) and Keane Berry (2: 3 against Jonny Clayton) eliminated two other candidates for a jump into the Top64.

Hempel will probably not have to dwell on such arithmetic games in the coming year either. The extension of the tour card can be realized early in the form. “The top 64 are the goal,” he said, looking ahead to the next twelve months, adding another sentence before the doors of the Alexandra Palace actually closed for him shortly afterwards: “Now I’ll have another cold drink.”

Darts World Cup, results

1 round:

Maik Kuivenhoven (NED) – Ky Smith (AUS) 3: 1

Jason Heaver (ENG) –Gordon Mathers (AUS) 3-1

Alan Soutar (SCO) – Diogo Portela (BRA) 3:2

Martijn Kleermaker (NED) – John Michael (GRE) 3:1

Florian Hempel (GER) – Martin Schindler (GER) 3: 0

Steve Beaton (ENG) – Fallon Sherrock (ENG) 3:2

2nd round:

Stephen Bunting (ENG/16) – Ross Smith (ENG) 2:3

Jonny Clayton (WAL/8) – Keane Berry (WAL) 3:2

Darts World Cup on Monday, December 20th

8 pm:

1 round

Luke Woodhouse (ENG) – James Wilson (ENG)

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (AUT) – Ben Robb (NZL)

Raymond van Barneveld (NED) – Lourence Ilagan (PHI)

2nd round

James Wade (ENG / 4) – Maik Kuivenhoven (NED)

The complete schedule and the tournament tree can be found here.

*Display: Every viewer has the opportunity to follow the tournament live on the DAZN streaming service. If you don’t have a subscription, you can watch the games for free. DAZN offers all new customers the opportunity to test the offer for one month free of charge. You can cancel the subscription within the first month.