Belgium set up tasty second-round meeting with Netherlands after putting on a united front, while Poland set a new record average; the World Cup of Darts continues at Frankfurt's Eissporthalle with a double session at 12pm and 6pm on Saturday - live on Sky Sports Action
Saturday 17 June 2023 00:45, UK
Kim Huybrechts and Dimitri Van den Bergh put their differences aside to send Belgium through to the second round of the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.
The duo won their opening match against Finland on Thursday night but cracks in their relationship showed immediately afterwards, with Huybrechts admitting he does not "get along with" Van den Bergh, who also said there was "something personal" between them.
But, in an attempt to avoid a civil war in the PDC competition, they put on a united front ahead of Friday night's match with China.
Before Belgium's evening match, Van den Bergh and Huybrechts, released a joint statement which said: "Following last night's win at the World Cup of Darts, we have sat down to discuss our recent differences.
"Whilst some issues remain to be resolved in the fullness of time, we are both fully committed to doing our best as a team to win the World Cup of Darts for Belgium, and to represent ourselves, our families and our country in the best light. That begins with tonight's game against China, and our focus is now on preparing for that match as a team."
Harmony was needed in a close match, with Van den Bergh producing an under-pressure 86 checkout in the deciding leg to clinch a 4-3 victory.
Krzysztof Ratajski and Krzysztof Kciuk produced a new world-record Pairs average to storm through to the last 16.
Having edged out Portugal in their Group G opener, Ratajski and Kciuk turned on the style to dispatch Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas and Mindaugas Barauskas with an astonishing 118.10 average in their winner-takes-all clash.
The Polish pairing produced legs of 14, 13, 12 and 12 darts to celebrate a 4-1 success, breaking Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld's previous Pairs record of 117.88 - set in 2014.
Host nation Germany breezed through to the last 16 without losing a leg, following up their 4-0 win over Hong Kong on Thursday's opening night with another whitewash success.
"We will take it," joked Martin Schindler, who reached the last eight alongside Gabriel Clemens in last year's showpiece.
"It's not easy to play in front of your home crowd because we want to perform, we want to show our very best, but we're very happy to get through.
"We are not looking any further than tomorrow. We believe in ourselves, we trust in our ability, but there are so many strong teams, so we are just focusing on us."
Defending champions Australia are yet to drop a leg and they eased to a 4-0 win over Gibraltar, while Croatia claimed a 4-1 upset victory over the Republic of Ireland.
Elsewhere, there were victories for France, South Africa, Canada, Latvia, Sweden and the Philippines, while Denmark lost to the USA but still go through.
The draw for Saturday's second round was made on stage following the completion of the group stage, as the top four ranked nations prepare to enter the fray in Frankfurt.
Top seeds England will play Latvia for a place in the quarter-finals, with four-time winners Netherlands set to take on Belgium in a blockbuster last-16 tie.
Two-time winners Scotland will play Philippines, with 2020 winners Wales - the bookmakers' favourites this weekend - pitted against surprise package Denmark.
Reigning champions Australia face Croatia, hosts Germany take on record-breakers Poland, France play South Africa, while Sweden and Canada will also lock horns for a spot at Finals Day.
Gary Anderson arrives in Frankfurt brimming with confidence, having enjoyed an impressive resurgence in 2023 - ending a three-year title drought with a Players Championship title in March.
The two-time world champion also reached Monday's Players Championship 13 final in Hildesheim, succumbing to world No 1 Michael Smith in a thrilling last-leg shoot-out.
"It has been four years since me and Peter lifted the title, so it will be good to get back playing," said 'The Flying Scotsman', who steered Scotland to a maiden World Cup crown alongside Peter Wright in their last appearance as a partnership in 2019.
"In any sport, if you can win anything for your country, even if it's dominoes, it's a fantastic achievement."
The World Cup of Darts continues at Frankfurt's Eissporthalle on Saturday with a double session at 12pm and 6pm - live on Sky Sports Action.
