The Van Gerwen steamroller continues with victory in Gibraltar

Posted: 15.06.18 in Darts Performance Centre Blog category

Just how good is MVG?

The Van Gerwen steamroller continues with victory in Gibraltar

Just how good is Michael Van Gerwen? His domination of the sport continued last weekend as he chalked up yet another European tour victory, brushing aside the in-form Adrian Lewis, who was appearing in his third final this year.

That makes it five Tour titles for MVG this year, and it was the 21st of what is already an illustrious career. The bad news for everyone else on the tour is that the world’s best dart player is only getting better. And at 29, his best years could still be ahead of him.

Can anyone beat MVG?

The next stop on the European Tour will be Copenhagen from 22 to 24 June for the Danish Open. With a growing number of websites like WinningSportsBets offering darts betting tips, there is more attention on bookmaker odds for PDC events than ever.

But it is hard to see beyond the all-conquering Dutchman. He is already odds on favourite to add yet another title to the growing list, with Peter Wright and Rob Cross the only other players shorter than 10/1. It’s an identical situation as we look further ahead to the European Matchplay event at the end of the month in Hamburg.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/PDC

A flawless performance

To give credit where it’s due, it looked throughout the Gibraltar event that if anyone could stop Van Gerwen, it was Lewis. The 33 year old from Stoke on Trent has performed creditably to recover from the difficulties earlier this year, when he was handed a suspended ban following an altercation at the UK Open. This was the final that everyone wanted to see, and Lewis had beaten some big names, including Peter Wright, Mensur Suljovic and James Wade to get there.

Ultimately, however, MVG was just too much for the challenger, and he recorded a remarkable 108 average to win the final 8-3. Speaking after the event, Van Gerwen was full of praise for his opponent, and said: “I had to play well because I know what Adrian is capable of - he is one of the best players in the world, and it's good to see him doing well again.”

However, the Dutchman was fully aware that play well was exactly what he did. He will now enjoy a couple of weeks off before heading to Copenhagen, and said: “I think I played a phenomenal game in the final and I think I have earned my holiday, I want to relax now and re-charge my batteries for the events coming up.”

A magical year for MVG

Such has been Van Gerwen’s domination that he has lost only one game on the European Tour so far this season. He’s added the Gibraltar Open to victories in the European Open, German Grand Prix, European Grand Prix and the Dutch Masters, and has power to add plenty more titles.

In fact, there is every chance that he will beat his own record of 26 PDC titles in a single year. Van Gerwen already has half an eye on the prize that everyone wants to claim. The World Matchplay will take place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, and Van Gerwen is desperate to get his hands on the Phil Taylor Trophy.

Will he do so? Given that he and Taylor are the only two names to have appeared on the trophy over the past ten years, it is his for the taking. Van Gerwen was the man who broke Taylor’s seven-year winning run with victories in 2015 and 2016, only for Taylor to win for an astonishing 16th time before retiring last year. Surely that is a record that even Van Gerwen will never beat? Only time will tell.