NOS Sport•today, 10:41 PM
Michael van Gerwen secured a place in the quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship with a 4-2 victory over Jeffrey de Graaf. Van Gerwen gave away a 2-0 lead at Alexandra Palace, but the three-time world champion recovered in time.
“This gives confidence and satisfaction,” said ‘Mighty Mike’ afterwards. “I am capable of a lot. Becoming world champion? One hundred percent, with all due respect to the others, they are also good.”
In the quarter-finals, Van Gerwen will face Englishman Callan Rydz, number 43 in the world rankings, on January 1. “He is playing a fantastic tournament, but I cannot lose to him and that is not going to happen,” said Van Gerwen.
Rydz doesn’t watch darts much
After his victory over Robert Owen in the eighth finals, Rydz already responded to the upcoming meeting. He thinks Van Gerwen is a fantastic player, but has not seen much of him in action this World Cup and has not watched the match against De Graaf. “I don’t watch much darts, tonight I’m watching Newcastle United. Hopefully they beat Manchester United.”
The Dutch Swede De Graaf, number 81 in the world, played well from the start against the number three in the world, drawing 1-1 in legs, but when De Graaf dropped his first stitches, Van Gerwen showed no mercy: 3 -1. The second set also went to Van Gerwen (3-0).
De Graaf back to 2-2
However, De Graaf did not give up on the highest stage and took the third set with a double-18, his favorite double (3-0). Thanks to his favorite double again, the fourth set also went to De Graaf, 3-1, after Van Gerwen had made some expensive mistakes.
Van Gerwen did not let himself be discouraged, kept his confidence and after a miss by De Graaf on double-18 (and double-9), Van Gerwen immediately made a break in the fifth set. De Graaf’s resistance was thus broken and Van Gerwen took the win with two 3-0 scores: 4-2.
‘Can become a champion’
“I had trouble keeping up, which is a pity,” Jeffrey de Graaf responded to his elimination. “On the one hand I am proud, on the other hand disappointed. I couldn’t hold on after the 2-2. It collapsed again. Michael threw really well. If he keeps this up, he can become champion.”
And De Graaf? He goes back to Sweden, to his pregnant wife: ‘Finally, haha. I had a great World Cup.”
Earlier tonight, Stephen Bunting, number eight in the world, thumped his English compatriot Luke Woodhouse: 4-0. The last eighth final is between the English Luke Littler (4) and Ryan Joyce.
