Danny Noppert overcame a severe bout of illness to secure a memorable 10-6 victory over world number two Luke Humphries in the last 16 of the UK Open in Minehead, booking his place on the tournament's final day. Remarkably, it marked Noppert's first major-stage TV win over Humphries, a fact the Dutchman admitted he was unaware of. "I didn't know that," Noppert said. "It was a good performance at a good moment." He credited his success to clutch doubling, stating, "I think the doubles in this game were crucial. He missed a lot of opportunities and I took my chances."
The win was all the more impressive given Noppert's physical struggles just a day earlier. "It was a really bad day," he revealed. "If you throw up five times before your game, it's not nice." Despite feeling terrible, he managed to produce a nine-darter during his match, though he couldn't celebrate exuberantly. "The only thing I was thinking about at that moment was to win the game fast. I also thought about a nine-darter. I couldn't celebrate too much because then I'd throw up." A bin was even placed behind the stage for emergencies.
Noppert's recovery involved a cautious dietary approach. "This morning I woke up and I had a banana to check how my stomach was," he explained. "It accepted it. Afterwards I had three boiled eggs. That's the recipe... not too much fat." Feeling much better, he now faces a daunting quarterfinal against reigning world champion and world number one Luke Littler. Noppert has never beaten Littler on television either, but he remains optimistic. "It is what it is. This is the UK Open—you can draw everyone," he said. "I'm looking forward to playing Luke Littler. I think he's from another planet. Hopefully I'm from another planet tomorrow. If I play well, I can beat him."
Reflecting on his absence from Premier League Darts this season, Noppert took a pragmatic view, valuing time with family amid a busy schedule. "It's busy every week. I always like to be at home with my family," he said. He emphasized the importance of support, particularly from his girlfriend. "She supports me all the time. That means a lot to me."
