WE’RE IN FEAR OF VIRUS
Ex-champ Cross reveals players stressed as Van der Voort ruled out after catching Covid
ROB CROSS has revealed stressed darts players are running scared after the first Covid casualty at Ally Pally.
Vincent van der Voort was forced to withdraw from his third round tie against James Wade in the William Hill PDC World Championship last night after testing positive for the virus.
Now Professional Darts Corporation bosses fear more games could fall to the plague – and they are on tenterhooks because Van der Voort spent Christmas Day with Michael van Gerwen, the bookies’ second favourite, at their manager’s London home. The first crack in the PDC’S Covidproof tournament appeared on Christmas Eve when another Dutchman, Raymond van Barneveld, revealed he had tested positive after his second round defeat by Cross (below).
And the 2018 world champion admitted the double Dutch setback was everyone’s worst nightmare at Alexandra Palace.
Cross said: “It’s been a massive worry over Christmas. I found out from Ray’s manager before they announced it on Christmas Eve.
“I’ve been doing two lateral flow tests a day the past week, anyway. Ray phoned me on Christmas Eve night and was so apologetic, he couldn’t have been nicer.
“But I have to admit that it has been so stressful dealing with Covid over the past couple of weeks.
“The fear of being knocked out of the World Championship by getting a positive test is affecting all of us. It was good to be at home for Christmas with the family but you are still worried about getting Covid and passing it on to anyone.
“I’ve kept my contact with other people to the bare minimum.”
While Wade has been handed a bye into the last 16 following Van der Voort’s withdrawal, the PDC could tighten their Covid protocols by conducting all tests on-site at Ally Pally instead of allowing players to conduct them in private at their hotel.
They are sweatfor ing on Van Gerwen – the threetimes world champion, who plays Chris Dobey in the third round tonight – staying the right side of his lateral flow tests’ red lines.
MVG is understood to have returned a negative test yesterday, and under PDC competition rules he must pass another lateral flow test before he goes on stage to face Dobey.
And he has been a leading advocate of players being vaccinated, saying it was “unprofessional” to dodge the jab.
Like Barney, Van der Voort is now self-isolating in London while the other players left in the world championship have so far reported a clean bill of health.