KIM HUYBRECHTS stunned fans by wearing EARPLUGS despite competing on home soil at the Belgian Darts Open.
The World No61 produced a superb display, averaging 101.76 to defeat Niko Springer 6-3 in round one at Wieze.
Huybrechts explained he used noise cancellers to stay composed on the oche in a bid to perform at his best.
Other players have taken similar measures, Gerwyn Price famously wore ear defenders at the 2023 World Championship, and Danny Noppert relied on earplugs to block out distractions at the Saudi Arabia Masters.
Huybrechts said: “This is fantastic: winning on home soil and playing well too.
“It was tense, but I actually felt I had everything under control. As a dart player you have to stay in your own bubble.
“This just works for me. The atmosphere is amazing, but if you get caught up in it, you lose focus. Your heart rate goes up, and you want to avoid that.”
Huybrechts praised the fans inside the Oktoberhallen arena as he continues his strong run of form.
Huybrechts has made a positive start to the year, reaching the last 16 at Players Championship Four and Six.
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He added: “We have the most respectful crowd in the world. When it’s the other way around, I’m sometimes up against thousands of fans rooting against me.
“Here you feel support without it becoming unsporting. That makes it really special.”
The Belgian thrower will now face Josh Rock on Saturday evening for a spot in the third round of the European Tour event.
Elsewhere in the Belgian Darts Open last night, former world champions Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld both suffered shock early exits.
Smith was beaten 6-3 by Ireland’s Mickey Mansell in a disappointing display.
Dutchman Van Barneveld endured an even tougher night, going down 6-1 to Croatia‘s Boris Krcmar in his first European Tour appearance of 2026.
There was better news for the English contingent, with Dave Chisnall, Luke Woodhouse, Ricky Evans and Ryan Joyce all progressing after strong opening-round performances.
Luke Littler returns to action today after skipping last weekend’s event and will take on Krcmar as he looks to build on his recent Premier League Darts triumph.
Meanwhile, there’s a heavyweight clash in store tonight as Luke Humphries faces Michael van Gerwen in one of the standout ties of the round.
