In a historic day at the MVM Dome, Van Gerwen and Dekker made waves with their incredible performances in the second round of the tournament. What made this day truly special was the occurrence of multiple nine-darters, a first in European Tour history.
Van Gerwen, the Dutch powerhouse, kicked things off with a bang by hitting a nine-darter in the first leg of his 6-2 win over Martin Lukeman. He followed it up with impressive checkouts of 157 and 154, securing the victory with a remarkable 104.52 average. Reflecting on his performance, Van Gerwen stated, “I’m here to do something special. I think this crowd deserved it.” This exceptional display came on the heels of his recent triumph at Players Championship 21, where he clinched his first ranking title of the year.
Looking ahead to his next match, Van Gerwen is set to face Clemens in the last 16. Clemens, the German number two, showcased his form by edging out world number one Humphries in a thrilling encounter. Despite Humphries’ impressive 101 average and five maximums, Clemens managed to secure the win with a decisive 14-dart break of throw in the final leg. Drawing inspiration from his recent victory over Van Gerwen at the Flanders Darts Trophy, Clemens expressed his confidence, stating, “I’ve been playing really good darts in the last few weeks.” With his eyes set on progressing further, Clemens believes he has what it takes to overcome the three-time World Champion.
As the tournament unfolds, fans can expect more excitement and drama as these top players battle it out on the oche. With Van Gerwen and Clemens in top form, the stage is set for a showdown that promises to be nothing short of spectacular.
