This Week In Darts – 3rd Of May 2024

Luke Littler continued the electric start to his career this past weekend, donning the prestigious Green Jacket after victory at the Austrian Darts Open.

This officially marks the second tournament victory for Littler on the European Tour this year, who also took top prize at the Belgian Darts Open back in March. “I’m just happy to get over the line again” said Littler, who defeated Joe Cullen 8-4 in the finale. “It didn’t happen in Sindelfingen but I’ve come here and I’ve put myself right and won another one.”

Littler posted an average of 102.71 in the final.

“This weekend has been good,” the 17-year-old sensation concluded. “My darts have been good and these guys [the crowd] have helped me so much.”

Despite a valiant effort, Michael van Gerwen failed to capture his first European title of the season in Austria last weekend, falling 6-1 to Ross Smith in the quarterfinal.

It is already the second time in a short span that Smith has thwarted the Dutchman, who won 7-6 over Van Gerwen in the semifinals of the European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen just a week earlier.

”Another tough loss in the quarter final in Graz today. Ross Smith played well, and I just couldn’t find my rhythm,” said Van Gerwen on X. “Disappointed with the result, but onto the next one!”

Bonus points for the positive attitude, MVG! That’s how you do it!

Recently, a video surfaced that showed both Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price refusing to autograph items brought to hotels before Premier League nights. Needless to say, this got fans talking.

During a chat with Sportsnews, Van Gerwen took a moment to address the incident.

“There are regularly people standing around asking us to put our signature on certain products. Which they then want to sell online for a lot of money. They also secretly film it so they have proof that the signatures are indeed ours.”

“Oh well, by now we know these people,” Van Gerwen continued. “They are such that they even send their own children to ask for an autograph, they know no shyness.”

“They also know that it is much harder to say no to a child who comes asking for an autograph. It’s reprehensible what they do.” Does Van Gerwen have any idea just how much his autograph is worth? “No, I’ve never asked,” he laughs.

Last weekend the fifth tournament of this year’s European Tour campaign was played out in Graz.

One of the officials on duty during the event was Kirk Bevins, who took to social media shortly after the tournament to reveal that he had been involved in an altercation with a fan while in Austria.

The 37-year old referee revealed that he was grabbed while posing for a photo.

The Kirkulator took to X and wrote the following: “To the Austrian darts ‘fan’ who grabbed me and pulled me away from her mate having a photo with me and Huw Ware when he asked us both for a photo…just because I wasn’t in my PDC uniform and you didn’t know who I was…it was NOT OK to grab me and pull me away.”

Pro darter Seigo Asada has opened the Japan Tour with two back-to-back wins.

The 44-year-old is hoping to return to the World Darts Championship at the end of this year.

For those who don’t know, the recently introduced The Japan Tour consists of 10 tournaments followed by a playoff with the top 32 players at the end of the season.

Asada, a former World Cup of Darts semifinalist, defeated Yoshihisa Baba in a last-leg shoot-out to prevail in the first tournament. He then extended his winning streak to 14 games in the second tournament, which ended in a convincing 4-1 victory over Yuichiro Ogawa. His streak was then broken by Keita Ono in the third tournament on Sunday, which saw Mitsuhiko Tatsunami storm to victory with a whitewash victory over Taiyo Nishimata.

Jun Matsuda would close out the weekend with four consecutive legs to beat Shogo Fuse in the fourth tournament. Previously, Matsuda represented Japan at last year’s World Cup of Darts.

The Japan Tour will be played two more weekends in July and September, followed by the top 32 competing for a place at the World Darts Championships.