Daryl Gurney showed enough ‘cojones’ to beat Florian Hempel in the second round (Image: GETTY)
Daryl Gurney has suggested that Florian Hempel lacked ‘cojones’ when they met in the second round of the before Christmas.Gurney was up against it from the start, with Hempel drawing first blood by winning the opening set. The veteran Northern Irishman looked fired up as he drew level in the second, but his opponent was quick to regain the advantage in the third.It left Gurney needing to win two sets on the bounce and he did exactly that, securing a hard-fought victory to set up a third-round showdown with Jonny Clayton.Speaking after the match, he explained that his refusal to lie down and accept his fate swung proceedings in his favour.
Gurney came from behind twice to set up a third-round meeting with Jonny Clayton (Image: GETTY)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“When I’m behind, I’ll always put my head down and I probably never get a result like this,” said Gurney. “I never come out on top, so I’m proud of myself for sticking in there and coming through when it mattered in the fifth set.”Florian was brilliant, the way he started off in the fifth set. The person in me got angry and thought: ‘Don’t you dare think about that, he’s only won on his throw, don’t think about it’.”The way I looked at it, the first four sets just went with throw. Let’s see who’s got the biggest cojones in the fifth and we soon realised who did.”I feel like I’m playing really well and my standards are really good. I’m more hit and miss [than I was] when I was winning Players Championship and World Grand Prix titles.
Don’t miss… [EXCLUSIVE] [NEWS]
“I don’t even remember that. That’s six or seven years ago. I don’t remember that player. I’m trying to get him back but sometimes he’s null and void.”Gurney added that his Christmas would have been ruined if he had crumbled under pressure and allowed Hempel to nick the decisive final set.”It would’ve ruined my Christmas if I was going home tonight,” he said. “I go home tomorrow morning first thing. There’s one thing I know is my son and my girlfriend will put a smile on my face if I lost, but I didn’t.”Any seed that got beat, I didn’t wish them getting beat. They’re their own player, person. They won, they lost, whatever, and all I can do is concentrate on myself. I hope all of them have a merry Christmas.”