‘He’s not wrong’ – Callan Rydz explains how rival’s pre-match comments backfired in spectacular fashion
Callan Rydz has revealed Dimitri Van den Bergh’s pre-match mind games lit the fuse that sparked his third round demolition. Rydz did not drop a set in his first two matches at the PDC World Darts Championship as he breezed past Romeo Grbavac and Martin Schindler. PDCRydz has saved his best form until the end of the year[/caption] However, No. 11 seed Van den Bergh presented a much tougher challenge for Rydz. Well, at least on paper. Once the game began, it looked like Rydz was the man who deserved the high seeding and not Van den Bergh. The 26-year-old was dominant from start to finish as he decimated Van den Bergh 4-0 and recorded a sensational three-dart average of 105.31 on his way to victory. It wasn’t even Rydz’s highest figure of the tournament, having averaged 107.06 in his first round match against Grbavac. Speaking in his post-match press conference, Rydz revealed it was a pre-match comment from Van den Bergh that played a key role in his blistering performance on Sunday afternoon. Recalling how his rival’s use of mind games came to his attention, Rydz said: “It was one of my best friends. “He went, ‘Have you seen Dimitri’s interview?’ I went, ‘No.’ He went, ‘He called you unstable.’ “I went, ‘He’s not wrong,’ but I think that was the fire in the belly that I needed.” Although Rydz has presented himself as a cool customer on the oche at the World Championship, he has had his struggles with the mental side of the game in recent years. PDCA comment from Van den Bergh lit the fuse for Rydz’s sensational performance[/caption] At the 2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy, Rydz cut a devastated figure after he blew a 5-2 lead to eventually lose 6-5 to Florian Hempel in the first round. The 26-year-old bit into the collar of his shirt and punched his darts case on his way off the oche. After the match, Rydz sparked concerns for his well-being with an emotional message on social media. “Bah it’s a lonely f****** place, but f*** me, when you lose, the s*** you get is not good for anyone,” Rydz wrote. “Am just trying to make a living an (sic) not sure it’s worth bothering fighting for anymore. “If you have my number and need me, text me. I won’t be on social media for a long time.” PDCThe 26-year-old has been open about his previous mental struggles on the oche[/caption] He has been one of the standout performers at Ally Pally so farGetty Rydz has since improved the mental side of his game and it certainly showed against Van den Bergh. It was no more evident than how composed he remained despite Van den Bergh’s attempts to dictate the pace of the match, even when Rydz continued to storm ahead. “I knew what he was going to do,” Rydz said. “I knew that he was going to try to not slow us down, but compose himself. “But I knew it was coming so I was ready for every little thing that was coming. I settled down after I replied with the 180 in the first leg and it shows that I can do it. “I know that some people write us off, but I know where my game is at, I can match it with anyone.” Rydz will now face Robert Owen in the fourth round on Monday.
Callan Rydz has revealed Dimitri Van den Bergh’s pre-match mind games lit the fuse that sparked his third round demolition.
Rydz did not drop a set in his first two matches at the PDC World Darts Championship as he breezed past Romeo Grbavac and Martin Schindler.
However, No. 11 seed Van den Bergh presented a much tougher challenge for Rydz.
Well, at least on paper.
Once the game began, it looked like Rydz was the man who deserved the high seeding and not Van den Bergh.
The 26-year-old was dominant from start to finish as he decimated Van den Bergh 4-0 and recorded a sensational three-dart average of 105.31 on his way to victory.
It wasn’t even Rydz’s highest figure of the tournament, having averaged 107.06 in his first round match against Grbavac.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Rydz revealed it was a pre-match comment from Van den Bergh that played a key role in his blistering performance on Sunday afternoon.
Recalling how his rival’s use of mind games came to his attention, Rydz said: “It was one of my best friends.
“He went, ‘Have you seen Dimitri’s interview?’ I went, ‘No.’ He went, ‘He called you unstable.’
“I went, ‘He’s not wrong,’ but I think that was the fire in the belly that I needed.”
Although Rydz has presented himself as a cool customer on the oche at the World Championship, he has had his struggles with the mental side of the game in recent years.
At the 2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy, Rydz cut a devastated figure after he blew a 5-2 lead to eventually lose 6-5 to Florian Hempel in the first round.
The 26-year-old bit into the collar of his shirt and punched his darts case on his way off the oche.
After the match, Rydz sparked concerns for his well-being with an emotional message on social media.
“Bah it’s a lonely f****** place, but f*** me, when you lose, the s*** you get is not good for anyone,” Rydz wrote.
“Am just trying to make a living an (sic) not sure it’s worth bothering fighting for anymore.
“If you have my number and need me, text me. I won’t be on social media for a long time.”
Rydz has since improved the mental side of his game and it certainly showed against Van den Bergh.
It was no more evident than how composed he remained despite Van den Bergh’s attempts to dictate the pace of the match, even when Rydz continued to storm ahead.
“I knew what he was going to do,” Rydz said. “I knew that he was going to try to not slow us down, but compose himself.
“But I knew it was coming so I was ready for every little thing that was coming. I settled down after I replied with the 180 in the first leg and it shows that I can do it.
“I know that some people write us off, but I know where my game is at, I can match it with anyone.”
Rydz will now face Robert Owen in the fourth round on Monday.
