Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Callan Rydes has revealed Dimitri van den Bergh’s pre-match mind games turned on the fuse that sparked his third-round defeat..
Rydz did not drop a set in his first two matches PDC World Darts Championship while passing by Romeo Grbavac and Martin Schindler.
4
However, number 11 van den Berg presented a much tougher challenge for the Raiders.
Well, at least on paper.
Once the game started, it looked like Rydes was the man who deserved the lead, not Van den Bergh.
The 26-year-old was dominant from start to finish He beat van den Berg 4-0 and posted a thrilling three-dart average of 105.31 en route to victory.
It wasn’t even Rydes’ highest figure of the tournament, averaging 107.06 in their first-round match against Gerbauch.
In their post-match press conference, Ryders revealed that it was a pre-match comment from van den Berg that played a key role in his brilliant performance on Sunday afternoon.
“It was one of my best friends,” Rydes said, recalling how his mind-game rival got his attention.
“Did you see Dimitri’s interview?” he said. I went, no. “He called you unstable,” she said.
“I went, ‘He’s not wrong,’ but I think that was the fire in my belly that I needed.”
Although Rydz has established himself as a cool client at the World Championships, he has struggled with the mental aspects of the game in recent years.
4
At the 2024 Hungarian Darts Cup, Rydes cut a devastating figure after going 5-2 up, eventually losing to Florian Hempel 6-5 in the first round.
The 26-year-old bit his shirt collar and punched his dart box.
After the game, Reids raised concerns for his health with an emotional message on social media.
“Baha here’s a lonely place, but in me, when you lose, the points you get don’t do anybody any good,” Rides wrote.
“I’m just trying to make a living, I’m not sure it’s worth fighting anymore.
“If you have my number and need me, message me. I won’t be on social media for a long time.”
4
4
Rydes has improved the mental side of his game since then and it certainly showed against van den Berg.
Despite van den Berg’s efforts to dictate the pace of the race, it was never more evident than how cool he remained even as Rydes continued to storm ahead.
“I knew what he was going to do,” Rydes said. “I knew he was trying not to slow us down, but to compose himself.
“But I knew it was coming, so I was ready for every little thing that came. After doing a 180 in the first round, I relaxed and that shows I can do it.
“I know some people write us off, but I know where my game is, I can match it with anybody.”
Rydes will now face Robert Owen in the fourth round on Monday.
