Michael van Gerwen spoke out on social media after another disappointment at the Darts World Cup. “Incredible. This is not the way I wanted to start 2024. I haven’t reached my A-game, this defeat hits me hard,” the 34-year-old Dutchman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday night. Van Gerwen previously surprisingly lost his quarter-final against England’s Scott Williams 3:5.
It is the fifth consecutive World Cup in which van Gerwen does not win the trophy. He won his previous titles in 2014, 2017 and 2019. This time, van Gerwen reminded of his previous dominance in the first rounds. The first three games against Irishman Keane Barry (3:0), Dutchman Richard Veenstra (4:0) and England’s co-favorite Stephen Bunting (4:0) went smoothly.
“Michael is the best player of our generation. To have defeated him on this stage is crazy,” said surprise winner Williams. He had previously defeated the seeds Danny Noppert (Netherlands), Martin Schindler (Germany) and Australia’s Damon Heta.
