Danny Noppert failed to reach the third round of the Baltic Sea Darts Open after losing 6-2 to William O'Connor in the second round. The Frisian struggled to find his rhythm throughout the tie, and O'Connor capitalized fully on the below-par performance to seal a convincing victory, forcing the Dutchman into an early exit.
After the match, Noppert revealed he had felt strikingly fatigued all day and later discovered a possible explanation: he is currently struggling with severe hay fever symptoms, and his medication can have a fatigue-inducing effect. “I was so tired today. But now I know why. I have pretty bad hay fever, and it turns out my medication can make you feel tired. Another lesson learned, although that's not much use to me right now,” he said.
While hay fever is often seen as a mild condition, both the symptoms and certain antihistamines can significantly impact athletes’ concentration and energy levels. In darts, where focus and mental sharpness are crucial, that can make a big difference. However, Noppert did not point solely to that explanation; against O'Connor, the former UK Open champion never managed to put sustained pressure on his opponent. The Irishman played solidly when required and punished Noppert’s misses effectively, quickly moving the score in his favor to advance with a comfortable 6-2 win.
For Noppert, the world number ten, the elimination marks a disappointing end to his Baltic Sea Darts Open campaign. He will hope to get his hay fever symptoms and the effects of his medication under better control soon, so he can fully focus on upcoming tournaments on the PDC calendar.
