Callan Rydz was left with a wasp on his head during his World Darts Championship clash with Robert Owen at Alexandra Palace – with the insects again targeting the tournament
World Darts Championship contender Callan Rydz had an unexpected visitor during his fourth-round face-off with Robert Owen – a wasp that decided to nestle in his hair.
The insect remained perched there for several trips to the oche during the first leg of the second set before finally taking flight. Rydz even managed to score a 180 before the wasp buzzed off.
Sharp-eyed fans were quick to spot the winged intruder, with many taking to social media to chuckle over the amusing episode. Unfazed, Rydz continued his game, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his locks had played host to the insect.
One fan said: “Knew Rydz’s hair looked like a nest, the wasp has moved in!” A second added: “That wasp has found a new home!”
Rydz has been on fire throughout the World Championship, not losing a single set prior to his match against Owen. The 26-year-old kicked off his campaign with a clean 3-0 sweep against Romeo Grbavac, followed by another 3-0 triumph over Martin Schindler in the second round.
He then dispatched Dimitri Van den Bergh with a 4-0 win in his third game, reports the Express. Despite a rocky start against Owen where he lost the initial two sets, Rydz flipped the script by clinching three consecutive sets, putting him just one set away from victory.
The match quickly evolved into an Ally Pally classic as Owen rallied to level the score at 3-3, pushing the game into a deciding set. However, Rydz completed his comeback by securing the final set, resulting in a 4-3 win and earning him a spot in the quarter-finals.
Rydz put in a stellar performance averaging 97.38 and racking up 12 180s during the game. His double success rate was significant, nailing 16 out of 37 attempts, as opposed to Owen’s lower conversion of 12 from 43.
After securing the victory, an emotional Rydz shared with Sky Sports: “I saw a photo this week of me celebrating Christmas with my grandma, who I lost, and it really hurt, so this is for her. The crowd got me through that match. Rob battered me in the first two sets, so thank you very much to the crowd.”
Through the highs and lows, he admitted: “I didn’t feel like I played good there but I have seen the average and I was decent. I have a day off tomorrow to recharge the batteries.”
Come New Year’s Day, Rydz will be back at Ally Pally to take on either Michael van Gerwen or Jeffrey De Graaf, now just three wins shy of claiming the prestigious Sid Waddell trophy.
The World Championship at Ally Pally has previously been targeted by wasps, causing disruptions for players like Scott Williams who famously tried to karate chop one during his match against Damon Heta last year.
Ally Pally officials are now tasked with finding new solutions to prevent these bothersome insects from affecting next year’s championship contenders.