Noa-Lynn van Leuven rues missed chances on historic World Championship debut
Van Leuven became the first trans player to play on the Alexandra Palace stage.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven was left to rue what might have been as her moment of history at the World Championship ended in a first-round defeat.
Van Leuven became the first trans player to compete on the Alexandra Palace stage and she held her own in a 3-1 loss to Kevin Doets.
The Dutchwoman, who transitioned in 2021, will leave with regrets over the third leg of the second set as she wasted an incredible chance to break Doets’ throw and then have the darts for a 2-0 lead.
But she could not take out 68 points in 18 attempts, with her compatriot eventually winning the leg in 33 darts.
That proved pivotal as Doets won the set and then reeled off the next two to send Van Leuven home, where she will return to her job as a junior sous chef in the Netherlands on Friday.
Doets set up a second-round rematch with Michael Smith, who beat him in a final-leg decider in the same stage of last year’s tournament.
James Hurrell’s Ally Pally debut ended better as he beat Jim Long 3-0 to set up a Friday night showdown with three-time champion Michael van Gerwen.
“It’s amazing, the whole thing I was thinking throughout the game was to play Michael van Gerwen on Friday,” he said.
“It’s a massive challenge, it is so good, I cannot wait, I cannot wait. I will get a lot from the way I played. I felt really comfortable up there.”
Mike De Decker became the second big-name casualty of the tournament as he crashed out to Luke Woodhouse in the second round.
De Decker, seeded 24, was an outside bet to make a title challenge after a breakthrough year which saw him win the World Grand Prix in October.
But he lost 3-1 to Woodhouse, who made it through to the third round for the second time.
“The win is incredible. I have only got through the second round once so I am happy,” he said in his on-stage interview.
“I felt really good, I started off well. He didn’t play anywhere near what he could do.
“I need to come out and stay consistent. I know I can put in the big averages but consistency is my thing. I was fortunate Mike wasn’t on it, we’ll see what happens after Christmas.”
Elsewhere, Ryan Joyce beat Darius Labanauskas 3-1.
