Danny Noppert booked his place in the second round of the World Grand Prix with a 2-1 sets victory over Niko Springer, but the Dutchman had to dig deep after letting a commanding lead slip. Noppert flew out of the blocks against the German, impressing on the doubles early on with tidy finishes of 112, 90 and 100 to lay a solid platform for victory.
"In the beginning, yeah of course," Noppert told DartsWorld afterwards. "At the end it was a little bit troubling to take it over the line but finishing in the beginning was great. Maybe scoring can be a little bit better. But yeah, so far I'm happy with my performance."
Noppert initially looked set for a routine night, taking the first five legs of the match and needing just one more to close it out. Springer, however, refused to fold and battled his way back into the contest. Noppert said he did not dwell on the German's sudden surge. "No, I was not busy with it to be honest. Yeah, I don't know what happened. I think he played better after when he was 5-0 down. I think I'm the deserved winner of this game."
The Frisian has been part of the world's elite for some time, reaching multiple televised semi-finals last year, and this season has already brought several quarter-finals. Asked when he might take the next step towards a major final, Noppert smiled and struggled to pin down an answer. "Yeah, if you can tell me," he replied. "I always give my best, my best level every time. Sometimes it happens, sometimes not. The PDC have 128 really good players and every time it's tough."
Noppert is mainly content with where he stands right now, stressing the importance of his home life. "I'm really pleased with the position where I am at the moment and the family behind me and everything. It's so special for me. I think that's the most important key, the best background behind you."
