Heine Uuldriks was one of the standout surprises on the European Tour recently. The Groningen native qualified for the Dutch Darts Championship through the qualifying event and then impressed on the big stage. His spectacular win over Ricardo Pietreczko made a particularly strong impression. On the podcast Darts Draait Door, Damian Vlottes and Vincent van der Voort spoke with the former amateur footballer, who has now turned his full attention to darts. With the ADC World Championship and Q-School on the horizon, Uuldriks has lofty ambitions.

Heine Uuldriks’s life has been turned upside down over the past few weeks. The relatively unknown darter from Groningen qualified for the Dutch Darts Championship on home soil and immediately showed that he has plenty of ability. His performances did not go unnoticed.

“It has started to sink in a little now, because the whole thing was one big whirlwind,” Uuldriks said on Darts Draait Door. “Everyone was messaging me the entire following week. My phone was red-hot. It was a fantastic experience, of course. Especially when you see how many people around us followed it all.”

Still, satisfaction was not the only emotion he felt afterwards. Uuldriks beat Ricardo Pietreczko but then lost to Brendan Dolan in the second round. The way that defeat unfolded especially frustrated him.

“When you’re up there, you want to win. Of course, a weekend like that is fantastic and enjoyable, but in the end you get the chance to make it 5-1. I haven’t watched that match back yet either. I watched the one I won, but not the one I lost. It’s still too fresh. It hurts that I didn’t win it in the end.”

Van der Voort appreciated that attitude. The former professional darter saw that Uuldriks was genuinely disappointed after his elimination, despite making such a successful debut. “That’s how it is in sport, isn’t it? You have to feel gutted too. In the end, you have to learn from it and see if you can make sure it doesn’t happen again next time. It was all new, of course, and then you find yourself in that situation. You really had him, but you couldn’t get it done.”

From the qualifier to a sensational victory

Uuldriks’s journey began on Thursday, when he had to earn his place through the qualifying event. The Groningen native had a long trip to make. “We had to start at 10:00, so I thought it was pretty early. I’d already booked a hotel nearby for the night before. I live in Groningen, of course, so travelling on the day would have been out of the question.”

The qualifying day went very well. Uuldriks won his opening match 6-0 before facing a familiar opponent from his region. “In the second round I played Marcel Otter, someone from our area. He can really throw a good dart. That was easily the toughest match of the day, and I won it 6-5. After that, things were pretty straightforward, at least in terms of the scores: 6-1 and 6-2.”

Once he had qualified, a practical problem arose. Uuldriks had booked a hotel for just one night. “I thought I’d go back to the hotel and extend my stay for another night. But everywhere was full, of course. We tried all sorts of things and eventually managed to find another hotel. But that was only for one night as well.”

For the time being, that proved to be enough, as his first match on the main stage became an unforgettable experience. Uuldriks soon found himself 3-0 down against Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko. “That was a really bizarre match for me. I went 3-0 down and I think he was averaging 115 or 120 at that point. You think: ‘Wow, if this carries on, we’ll be back home in no time.’”

But Uuldriks fought his way back. Roared on by the crowd, he turned the match around and claimed the win. “I managed to turn it around, and with the crowd and everything going on around you, you somehow drag yourself through it. That was incredible.”

The way he held his nerve in the closing stages was especially impressive. Despite his limited experience on stage, Uuldriks kept his composure. “The crowd helped a little too. I was full of adrenaline. Of course, you’re nervous inside, but I think I won that match on adrenaline.”

Van der Voort was impressed by the Groningen player’s level, describing him as the biggest surprise among the Dutch qualifiers. “He was the big unknown, of course, and he was the one who did best. An average of 98 against a Pietreczko who was playing really well. I thought he was the best of the qualifiers.”

Heine Uuldriks averaged 98 on his European Tour debut to beat Ricardo Pietreczko.

Football took priority over darts for years

What makes Uuldriks’s story unusual is that darts was not his main sport for a long time. The Groningen native played amateur football for years, competing at a strong level. “I played at the highest amateur level for about seven or eight years. I played for Harkemase Boys and also spent a year at Staphorst. Football was always my priority.”

That does not mean he stopped playing darts during that period. “I always played darts, entered tournaments and got pretty far. But it was never my main sport, so I couldn’t always give it my full attention.”

That has now changed. Uuldriks decided to end his football career last season and has since had considerably more time for his other sport. “Over the past two or three months, I’ve simply spent more time playing darts. I’ve also signed up for a league near us, a Super League. You can see the standard rise very quickly.”

Van der Voort sees this as an interesting development. He believes Uuldriks’ sporting background could help him take the next steps. “As a personal trainer, you naturally work a lot with discipline. And that’s something many darts players lack.”

Alongside his ambitions in darts, Uuldriks runs his own personal training business. He spends his days working in sport and fitness, and helping others. “I do a lot of exercise myself, of course, and try to guide other people and teach them discipline. That’s how I earn my living.”

Still, he does not claim that professional darts players lack discipline. Uuldriks believes people sometimes underestimate how much time top players devote to the sport. “Most professionals spend a few hours a day at the board, of course. That takes discipline too. But I do think being fitter physically can also affect you mentally.”

ADC World Championship next challenge: “I always go for the win”

Uuldriks is already looking ahead to his next challenge. He will compete at the ADC World Championship in Portsmouth, where he faces Nathalie Gilbert in his opening match. Vlottes had already looked into his opponent. Gilbert competes on the Women’s Series and, according to the presenter, recorded a highest match average of around 85 this year.

Van der Voort was clear about Uuldriks’ chances. “If that was her best match, then you know you have to win. If you’ve just averaged 98 on the European Tour, on the biggest stage, this simply has to be a win.”

He did, however, warn against underestimating her. “You have to prepare for the worst. Assume she plays very well and hits an 85 average. That’s what you have to expect. If she falls short, that’s a bonus.”

Uuldriks fully agreed. “In the end, I just have to throw well and win the match. If she’s averaged 85 once, you have to assume she can do it again. And I think I can reach that level.”

But his ambitions go beyond simply surviving the opening round. “I’m not going somewhere just to reach the second or third round. It’s a tournament, and I can win it. That’s always what you aim for.”

A win could set up a meeting with Boris Krcmar. “That would be a great challenge, of course. It’s a short format, and I think a lot is possible.” Van der Voort pointed out that these short matches place great demands on players. “There’s a lot of pressure. The mentally strongest players come through.”

Q-School must be the next step

The ADC World Championship is not Uuldriks’ only major goal. The Groningen native has also entered Q-School, where players can try to win a PDC Tour Card in January.

His move from amateur football to darts is increasingly looking like a serious pursuit. Just a few months ago, he was mainly known in his own region. He has since shown that he can also perform on the big stage.

Van der Voort sees Uuldriks as an intriguing prospect for the professional circuit. The former professional believes his sporting background, discipline and experience of performing under pressure could prove valuable.

For now, however, Uuldriks is focused on Portsmouth. If he wins his opening match, he will not play again until Friday. In that case, he does not plan to stay in England all week. “I play my first match on Sunday, and if I win, I don’t play again until Friday. I’ll just go home. Portsmouth doesn’t strike me as a particularly great town. I’ll head back there on Thursday.”