Raymond van Barneveld faces two crucial days in his darts career. The five-time world champion must secure his place at the World Darts Championship during the final two Players Championships of the season on Wednesday and Thursday. The Dutchman is currently right on the qualification cutoff and cannot afford a slip-up. Vincent van der Voort fears that missing out on the World Championship would hit his former colleague hard.

Van Barneveld currently sits 40th in the ProTour Order of Merit, where the top 40 players who do not qualify through the world rankings earn a place at the World Championship. The 59-year-old from The Hague still has his fate in his own hands, but his lead over the chasing pack is extremely narrow.

The final prize money counting towards World Championship qualification will be awarded at Players Championship 33 and 34 in England. The margins are tiny. There is just £5,000 between 35th and 50th place in the rankings. One strong result could therefore lift a player several places, while an early exit could have serious consequences.

Van der Voort fears a major blow for Van Barneveld

Vincent van der Voort is following developments involving his former colleague closely. Speaking on the Darts Draait Door podcast , the former professional says the tension will only grow over the next few days.

“When Wednesday’s draw comes out, you start to feel a little nervous,” says Van der Voort. “You hope you get the easiest possible draw and that your rivals have a tough time. Because, yes, it’s a matter of scraping together points, winning a round and keeping an eye on the others. It’s incredibly tense because everyone is so close together. He’s still safe for now, which is impressive given his year. It’s already tense, and knowing Raymond, it must be even more so for him. His whole season is focused on reaching the World Championship. If that slips away, I really think it would hit him hard.”

Qualifying for the tournament at Alexandra Palace is hugely important to Van Barneveld. The Dutchman has had a difficult season and has managed few notable results on the ProTour. Even so, with just two tournaments remaining, he is still on the right side of the cutoff.

One key factor is that players only earn prize money that counts towards the rankings once they win their opening match at a Players Championship. A first-round defeat brings no reward, while rivals can make up ground with just one win.

“The pressure is incredibly high”

Van der Voort believes the situation is also taking a mental toll on the players. Every match could determine whether they compete in the biggest tournament of the year. The former professional also believes Van Barneveld is not currently in the form to string together a run of wins with ease.

“In the race for the World Championship, losing straight away means you drop out of the rankings, while your rival gets back in with one win. The pressure on all those players is incredibly high now. If you miss the World Championship… We know a little about how Raymond is. He won’t take it easily. But it’s not as if he’s currently playing well enough to reach a quarter-final or semi-final run without difficulty.”

The next two days will show whether Van Barneveld can hold on to his position. His fate depends not only on his own performances, but also on the results of his direct rivals. Only after Thursday’s final Players Championship will the five-time world champion know for certain whether he will return to the Alexandra Palace stage in December.