This Week In Darts – 13th Of April 2024

TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Michael van Gerwen brought the boom down in Birmingham this past Thursday, halting Luke Littler’s win streak with a stupendous 6-3 victory in the final just hours ago.

En route to the endgame, Littler defeated Rob Cross in a last leg decider of the quarter-final before prevailing over Luke Humphries in the semi. The Dutchman meanwhile, earned a 6-4 win over Nathan Aspinall before firing past Michael Smith 6-4 in the semi-finals.

In the final, van Gerwen got off the mark early with an 18-darter while cutting a frustrated figure up on stage. Littler held throw to level then broke via double 10. A scrappy fifth leg then proceeded to go the way of Littler, who nudged back in front as van Gerwen reeled off the next two legs in succession. Breaking throw in the next leg via double 10, he then moved within one of victory before securing the win and the weekly Premier League Darts title with a final score of 6-3.

It sounds like there will be some pretty disappointed fans this weekend as both Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen have both pulled out of the International Darts Open taking place in Riesa.

The PDC has yet to release a statement as to why both players withdrew from the event, however Anderson did recently struggle with a shoulder injury, which may be playing a part.

The International Darts Open is one of the few tournaments that Michael van Gerwen has yet to win. He lost there in the third round back in 2015, after which he decided not to travel to the event from 2016 through 2019. He would then return to Riesa in 2020, losing to Joe Cullen in the final.

Lee Evans and Dylan Slevin will be stepping in to replace the duo, while both Stephen Bunting and Joe Cullen have advanced to the list of seeds as a result of the cancellations.

PLAYER INSIGHTS

Earlier this week it was announced that 17-year-old superstar Luke Littler had been listed by Forbes as part of their prestigious list of the most influential European athletes under the age of 30. 

Following his recent win against the teen in Birmingham, Michael van Gerwen was quick to offer an opinion on that. “With all due respect, he hasn’t won anything yet. If people haven’t won anything yet, should they be getting into Forbes?” the Dutchman questioned to Sportsboom. 

Despite this, van Gerwen still took a moment to complement his rival. “He’s obviously done sensational things for the sport, but he will always be the one chasing me,” he concluded. “He’s around 150 tournaments behind me, I’ll wait for him to catch up.”

FROM THE EXPERTS

While Michael van Gerwen may have walked away with a win on Night 11 of the 2024 Premier League Darts campaign, the victory still comes as a surprise to Sky Sports expert Wayne Mardle.

Van Gerwen triumphed 6-3 against Luke Littler in the final in Birmingham, a feat Mardle admits he didn’t see coming. “If I’m honest, I didn’t think Michael would win that final,” said Mardle, himself a former Premier League Darts participant, reflecting on stage with Emma Paton. “But who could have foreseen Luke Littler playing that poorly?”

“For Michael van Gerwen it’s been a real hard graft all night. But, he gets number four won and what an achievement,” Mardle continues. “I think what’ll give him belief is that, we all have this perception that players seldom play poorly. But they do and he’s kind of had a night where he’s not been on it but he’s played well at the exact right moments.”

“He’s managed to get over the line and to know that your opponents aren’t always playing well is a bit of reality check,” Mardle concludes. “It’s about when you hit and Michael van Gerwen tonight hit when he had to hit it.”

SLUMP BUSTER

Last night, Michael van Gerwen brought Luke Littler’s win streak to an end with a 6-3 win in Birmingham. For the Dutchman, it was his fourth weekly PLD title this year and his first since Night 4.

“It’s about time!” he laughed post-match. “I have made it a little bit hard for myself, but the most important thing is how you bounce back, and how do you reflect on the last few weeks.”

“We all know the last few weeks have not been great for me, but to come back with a win here tonight feels good,” he continued. “I had to battle tonight. I had to dig deep. I wasn’t playing my A-game, but this win gives me confidence of course.”

Van Gerwen is now third in the standings, four points off leader Littler. “I believe in my own ability,” the Dutchman concluded. “You need to make sure you stay focused and that’s what I’ve done, but there’s still more to come.”

And we can’t wait to witness what’s in store!