“During his walk-on I turn my back to him”: Kim Huybrechts about clash with Peter Wright | world darts

Kim Huybrechts opened his World Cup on December 16 with a 3-0 win against Grant Sampson. Today, no less than eleven days later, he is again at the Alexandra Palace in London. “My longest break ever at the world championship”, says ‘The Hurricane’. “It’s like I have to play a new tournament. That’s a bit weird.”

The long break was no disadvantage for Huybrechts. On the contrary. “For the first time since 2019 I was able to celebrate Christmas Eve at home. In recent years it was just in England, without my family. This time I could see my children’s faces as they opened their presents. I’m a family man, so that really helped me. Those are moments I cherish. It gives me good courage for the rest of the tournament.”

De Kempenaar could spend time with his family in Nijlen. He has also appeared several times in the past week and a half as a co-commentator on VTM 2. Remarkable for a darts player who is still in the World Cup. “I just love doing it. It has become a bit of a hobby. I also spent a day with Dutch TV colleagues, to analyze matches.” Huybrechts was engaged in television work, but that did not prevent him from training. “I certainly had enough practice,” he says. “One day I didn’t feel very well because I ate something wrong. But that doesn’t bother me anymore. I am 100% fit to start the race.” That is necessary, because his next opponent is Peter Wright. The defending champion.

“Wright is the favourite,” Huybrechts admits. “But I’m going to get some chances anyway. I’ll have to take that one soon so he starts doubting himself. If that works, I have to check the match. That is my gameplan. Taking my chances, keeping score and not missing too many doubles. If I want to win, I still have to get a double percentage of almost 50%. Because Wright is usually very strong in finishing. Well, mentally he wasn’t great due to his wife’s health problems. If he has a slump in the game, I have to be ready to take advantage of it.”

Wright regularly plays mental games. Huybrechts did not notice this this time. “I expected him to give an interview, with the message that I don’t stand a chance. I haven’t read that now. But during the walk-on he tries to intimidate anyway. Then he looks his opponent straight in the eye as he passes by. It seems innocent, but he makes it clear that you have to wait for him to finish. That’s why I stand with my back to him during his walk-on. Not disrespectful. I just don’t go along with his mental warfare.”

Huybrechts will soon close the evening session, Van den Bergh will play the first match in the afternoon session earlier. If our compatriots win, they will compete against each other in the eighth finals. “A Belgian get-together. That’s nice for the audience, but a little less for us. Because we know each other very well. We shall see. First we have to win our matches.”

‘Dancing Dimi’ hits Krzysztof Ratajski at around 1:45 p.m. “Someone who completely does his own thing. Stoic”, says Huybrechts. “It won’t be easy for Dimitri. And I have to face a class box. So it’s going to be hard to win both. But a Belgian eighth final would be nice anyway. I haven’t talked to Dimitri about it yet. Like me, he doesn’t want to get too ahead of the facts. If we talked about it, we would jinxen. And yes, I am a superstitious person,” he laughs.

LOOK. Huybrechts: “Will have to seize every opportunity I get”