Callan Rydz attracted widespread praise for one classy gesture en route to defeat against Michael van Gerwen.
‘The Riot’ matched his career-best finish at the World Darts Championship after reaching the quarter-finals of this year’s competition. However, he exited the running after a 5-3 defeat to Van Gerwen, where both players remarkably finished with an average of more than 103.
As if the standard of darts wasn’t enough to mark the matchup down as one of the highlights of the tournament, Rydz was lauded for his actions just as the match dart went in. Van Gerwen, 35, needed to take out double 16 to land his spot in the final four, but many members of the Alexandra Palace crowd attempted to put him off with boos and jeers.
That’s when Rydz walked to the front of the stage and could be seen making a patting gesture to tell the audience to stop. So even with a semi-final spot (not to mention another £50,000 in prize money) on the line, the Newcastle native wasn’t prepared to chase his dream while sacrificing his morals.
The motion was caught on camera and deservedly sparked a reaction online. Rydz, 26, is already widely liked among fans and fellow players alike, but this latest piece of sportsmanship will have only improved his image all the more.
“Great performance from Rydz and class to see him gesturing to stop booing,” wrote one viewer in praise of Rydz’s gesture. And they weren’t alone in that stance as another gushed: “Rydz telling the crowd to be quiet when they’re booing MVG. Class act.”
“If you look closely in the background, Rydz trying to stop the morons booing MVG when he is throwing for the match. That’s classy,” read another impressed fan. And there were plenty of others forthcoming with praise for the player in what was a moment deserving of its plaudits.
Rydz previously reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Darts Championship, where he lost out to eventual champion Peter Wright. And it took another former world champion to knock him out of the running on this occasion.
That being said, The Riot left his mark on this year’s tournament considering he boasts the three highest averages recorded in the competition thus far. And it speaks volumes of his standards that even a 103.88 average against Van Gerwen wasn’t enough to bag him a maiden semi-final spot.
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