Dirk van Duijvenbode can be forgiven for getting excited about performing in front of his home fans. But he nearly paid the price for taking it too far before a match at the 2023 Dutch Darts Masters, when a big jump and an awkward landing left him in serious pain.

Van Duijvenbode's walk-on has always been about bringing energy and pumping up the crowd. It delivered again before his clash with Dylan Slevin two years ago, as his unique Dutch 'hardstyle' music pounded over the speakers. Van Duijvenbode made his way onto the stage with his fists pumping before shaking hands with the match officials and wishing good luck to Slevin.

After turning his attention back to the rowdy spectators, Van Duijvenbode jumped high in the air and his right leg buckled as he hit the ground. The 32-year-old put a brave face on, got back up and continued pumping his first towards the crowd on one leg.

But as soon as he put weight back on his right foot, the pain in his face was evident, and he could hardly walk at all as he limped to the oche for his warm-up. Somehow, Van Duijvenbode composed himself and came away with a 6-5 victory.

It was touch and go, too, with the Dutchman requiring a superb 129 checkout in the deciding leg after trailing 5-4 and 4-3.

Known as 'Aubergenius' because he works part-time on an aubergine farm, Van Duijvenbode has a handful of impressive results on his CV, including a run to the quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship in 2021 and a runner-up finish at the World Series Finals the following year.

Results have been hit and miss this season for the Dutch thrower. He crashed out in the first round of the European Darts Trophy last weekend, less than a week after nailing a stunning nine-darter at Players Championship 7.

Leading up to last year's World Darts Championship, Van Duijvenbode discussed the challenges of balancing aubergine farming with his darting ambitions.

"I just have an agreement with my employers that my work has to be finished," he told . "How I do that, I have to figure out for myself. Sometimes that results in 16-hour days when you're behind and have deadlines. But generally not.

"Normally I come to start at half past seven. And then I practice at half past nine, half past twelve and half past three. I actually always do that alone. Only sometimes, towards the World Championship, I practice with other people, but that's more as a favour to them than for myself."