Andy Baetens crowned himself WDF world champion on Sunday night at the Lakeside Country Club. The Belgian defeated Chris Landman 6-1 in the final.
It is the first time a Belgian darter has ever become a world darts champion. “It means everything,” Baetens reflected on his achievement in his post-match interview. “I think I had a good performance today. Chris missed a couple of doubles, I took advantage of it, so I’m very happy.”
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Baetens impressed all week and was consistently averaging in the mid-90s. “I’m very happy with the performance today. I’m a world champion and I deserve it I think,” he says. “The whole week we fought. Each day, I train three to four hours just to stand here and put in a good performance. So I’m very happy to stand here as a world champion.”
Baetens was able to celebrate the title in the presence of girlfriend Stefanie and the rest of his family and supporters. “My family, my girlfriend, everything is so important to me so I thank them. I thank everyone, the whole crowd were amazing today so thank you! The atmosphere was great, I really enjoyed it.”
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Baetens returns to Belgium on Monday. “I think everyone in Belgium is very happy for me. We will see on Tuesday when I back to work. Of course, even world champions go to work,” he laughed.
In the coming weeks, Baetens can start preparing for the PDC Q-School. There, he hopes to capture a Tour Card in early January.
