Danny Noppert once again missed out on his first European Tour title on Sunday evening, losing the Dutch Darts Championship final in Maastricht 8-5 to compatriot Niels Zonneveld — a fifth defeat in as many European Tour finals for 'The Freeze'.
Despite the disappointment, the 35-year-old Dutchman remained positive afterwards and was full of praise for his opponent. "He is a deserved winner," Noppert conceded after the final. "I had a chance for my first European Tour title, but he deserved it." It was a disappointing end to an otherwise excellent tournament for Noppert, who had reached the final with a series of impressive victories and appeared to have a genuine opportunity to finally claim his maiden European Tour crown.
Noppert made an excellent start to the final, quickly establishing a 2-0 lead. However, Zonneveld completely turned the match around by winning five consecutive legs. Trailing 5-2, Noppert fought his way back into contention, and a superb 89 checkout on the bullseye helped him reduce the deficit to 5-4. A spectacular 157 checkout from Zonneveld then proved a crucial moment in the final, the left-hander restoring his two-leg advantage before extending his lead to 7-4. Noppert managed to pull another leg back, but could not prevent his compatriot from eventually sealing an 8-5 victory.
Noppert's performances throughout the final day had made his place in the final thoroughly deserved. The former UK Open champion began his run with a 6-4 victory over Dave Chisnall, averaging more than 100. He then defeated Jermaine Wattimena 6-3, again recording a three-dart average above the 100 mark. In the quarter-finals, the Dutchman arguably produced his best performance of the tournament — against Luke Woodhouse, who won the Baltic Sea Darts Open earlier this season, Noppert recorded a personal-best average of 113.42 in a comfortable 6-2 win over the Englishman. That set up a semi-final against Gian van Veen, who had made European Tour history the previous evening with a record-breaking 120.24 average. Noppert defeated his compatriot 7-5, converting 58% of his attempts at doubles to secure a place in his fifth European Tour final.
Despite another disappointment in a European Tour final, Noppert refuses to lose confidence. "I always have positive feelings. I always believe in myself and trust in myself," he said.
