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Michael van Gerwen breezed into the World Darts Championship quarter-finals with a routine 4-1 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode, revealing in the Alexandra Palace studio that his compatriot was using the dark arts of darts in defeat.
Van Gerwen dominated from the outset against his former World Cup of Darts teammate, eventually recording a 100.42 average as he defied a highlight 170 checkout from Van Duijvenbode to set up a quarter-final against Chris Dobey.
The three-time world champion told Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton and pundit Wayne Mardle that his opponent was attempting anything he could despite therefore disrupting his own performance in the process.
“I won tonight with my B game if you know what I mean. I didn’t play well, I wasn’t comfortable, I wasn’t in my zone,” Van Gerwen expressed. “I still produced some good darts otherwise I wouldn’t have had a 100 average.
“Dirk was trying everything in the book, he was trying to slow me down and get me out of my rhythm. But it doesn’t do his game any justice. I just had to tell myself ‘keep yourself calm, Mike, and just smash him.’”
Photos courtesy of Kieran Cleeves/PDC
Van Gerwen reiterated those comments in his post-match press conference. “If people try to do these things and try to slow me down, I know I’m always going to have them in my pocket,” the world number three added. “They need to play their own game because if they don’t play their own game, they’re never going to beat me anyway.”
The reigning World Matchplay champion also discussed the added pressure of playing a countryman and his added eagerness to avoid unwanted headlines back home.
“Against Dirk there’s a different angle because obviously we’re both Dutch,” Van Gerwen explained. “Of course I don’t want me and my whole family reading the newspapers tomorrow saying ‘Michael van Gerwen is kicked out by Dirk van Duijvenbode’.
“He said before the game ‘I can relax now, I’m the underdog’. Of course, it’s nonsense. He’s lucky that I love my job, to perform in front of a crowd like this feels amazing.
“I’m full of confidence now and in the next round the format is going up. Everything is going to be in my favour, but you need to stay sharp and stay focused.
“I’m only in the quarter-finals and last time I was in the quarter-finals I was smashed 5-0 by Dave Chisnall, so I don’t want to put myself in the same position again.”
