NOS Sport•yesterday, 5:59 PM•Amended yesterday, 11:55 PM
Darter Michael van Gerwen lost 5-4 to Gary Anderson in the group stage of the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton. Van Gerwen is therefore not yet certain of a place in the knockout phase.
Gian van Veen and Jermaine Wattimena are. They won their first two games and can’t be caught anymore. Danny Noppert has also won twice, but in theory he can still lose two places on Monday, although that chance is small.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven and Wessel Nijman are definitively eliminated after two losses.
Bull’s-eye
In the exciting match between Van Gerwen and Anderson, things were evenly matched for a long time. With 105, Anderson had a much higher average than Van Gerwen (90), yet the Dutchman remained well in the race. A bull’s-eye at a crucial moment sent the match to a decisive ninth leg.
The Scot made the difference there, leaving Van Gerwen with two points from two games. On Monday he plays against Ryan Joyce, who also has two points. The winner of that match qualifies for the eighth finals.
Van Veen and Wattimena are already assured of a place in the next round. Both won in six legs (5-1), against Stephen Bunting and Michael Smith respectively. Van Veen threw an average of 114, his highest ever at a TV tournament and the third highest average in the history of the Grand Slam. On Saturday, Van Veen already won with an average of 110 against Josh Rock.
Danny Noppert is also close to the knockout phase. The 33-year-old Frisian won 5-4 against Scot Cameron Menzies in group A. On Saturday, Noppert defeated Beau Greaves, one of the two female participants.
Noppert only qualified for the Grand Slam via the qualifying tournament last week
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