Chris Dobey was the only man standing up who did not love the darts. On paper and pedigree, there was only winner and so it proved for Michael van Gerwen in a 6-1 victory, securing his seventh final at Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen’s tournament average was more than five points better than that of Dobey, who made it to the last four despite his lack of form on the doubles. For the beaten man, 13 months younger than Van Gerwen, this was a novel stage as he enters the world’s top ten for the first time. Twice he had endured quarter-final heartbreak, losing 5-0 to Van Gerwen and then giving up a 4-0 lead against Rob Cross last year, wounds that he just about healed on New Year’s Day against Gerwyn Price.
Some of the sweaty, nervy arrows that came out of Dobey’s hand late against Price might have discomfited an OK midweek pub player. There was a cover shot so south of its target that it hit double, not treble, 19, and he had five missed match darts, two of which were, by elite standards, miles away. There were hints of repetition in how he failed to take out the second set. There were no finish-line nerves as he was not at the Blaydon races.
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Van Gerwen smashed through the first set with ominous ease. His level dropped but he timed everything right, taking out 158 when his opponent had missed a double. Dobey erred on bullseye in successive second-set legs, mopped up by Van Gerwen both times.
Van Gerwen had improved with every round, registering three-figure averages against Jeffrey de Graaf and Callan Rydz. He needed all that 103.10 brilliance to win an epic quarter-final against Rydz, an instant Ally Pally classic. A day later, that quality was lacking and he was there for the taking if Dobey could rise above the occasion. A 170 “big fish” checkout in the third set marked Dobey’s arrival in the final, but he did not build on it and Van Gerwen regained a firm group on the match, under little pressure.
Van Gerwen used to be the best 17-year-old in town. Now he is the 35-year-old warm-up act for a chucker half his age. Compared with the meek conviction of Littler, Van Gerwen has never been shy of speaking his mind in distinctive tones moulded in North Brabant. While Littler emerged fully formed as a dartist and provider of gentle remarks, Van Gerwen is content to prod Peter Wright over his “nonsense” and the metaphorical wearing of trousers by his wife.
As he captured British interest en route to the Winmau World Masters title in 2006, Van Gerwen turned the BBC blue with the first answer to an interview. “That was a good game,” he said after beating Darryl Fitton. “But on some difficult points he had two bounce-outs that maybe f***ed it up.”
The final boss in Bridlington was Martin Adams, the 50-year-old England captain. Van Gerwen came from 5-2 down to win 7-5. In so doing, he became the youngest winner of a major darts event, at 17 years and 174 days. Littler was 51 days younger when he won the Premier League last year.
Dobey was unable to add to his seven wins against Van Gerwen
PA
Whereas Littler reached the final of the World Championship immediately, Van Gerwen never won a match at the BDO equivalent, losing on debut and quickly defecting to the more lucrative PDC. Despite his talent he took his time, winning his first major in 2012 and achieving that famous 17-dart run against James Wade — a missed double shy of consecutive perfect legs — at the 2013 World Championship. He lost the final to Phil Taylor, the last of 16 world titles for “The Power”, and won his first the following year. A symbolic changing of eras.
Van Gerwen became the PDC’s youngest world champion at 24 (his compatriot, Jelle Klaasen, had won the BDO title at 21). “I know Michael van Gerwen holds the youngest at 24,” Littler said last month. “So I’ve got seven years, I could just slouch about for six years and just win it when I’m 24. I’d obviously like to win it before Michael won it, it would mean everything to be the youngest, that’s definitely what I’m looking for.”
Van Gerwen was world No1 for seven years, a status that ended in 2021. A prolific champion, three of his 47 PDC majors have come at Alexandra Palace. This tilt at No4 has come when his power and aura appeared to be waning. The 2024 season did not bring any major titles, only two final defeats. After a dormant year, there have been signs of volcanic activity in the past week.
Despite that drop in form, Van Gerwen has always been capable of rekindling his peak. Against Littler he boasts a 50-50 record, winning six of 12 matches in 2024, and won three of the four finals they contested: two Premier League nights and the Dutch Darts Masters, having lost at the Bahrain Darts Masters. There is only £3,000 between them in the provisional PDC Order of Merit, at Nos 2 and 3 in the world.
This would be the most surprising of Van Gerwen’s titles. “I’ve won f*** all yet,” he said afterwards, now turning Sky blue. He was long predicted to rival Taylor’s 16. Even four would be some achievement in this up-and-down age of professional arrers.
