Michael van Gerwen is looking sharp. The dazzling Dutchman made his first appearance at the World Darts Championship as he cruised past Welsh youngster Lewy Williams in straight sets to reach the third round inside Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen is on the hunt for his fourth World Championship title at Ally Pally and the pre-tournament favourite fired a warning to his rivals with a scintillating opening performance that saw him hit the highest winning average of the tournament so far with 101.8.
Reigning champion Peter Wright only posted an 88.34 average on the opening night while world number one Gerwyn Price’s average was 92.88. Van Gerwen’s second set average in particular was remarkable as he averaged 125 with legs of 13, 12 and 11 darts which former player and pundit Wayne Mardle described as “faultless.”
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After such a strong first performance in the tournament, you feel the three-time champion is only going to get better with each match he plays. Van Gerwen is chasing his first title on the world stage since his last triumph back in 2019 when he defeated Michael Smith 7-3. Smith is also going to be one of this year’s challengers after reaching the final in 2022 and claiming his first major earlier this year at the Grand Slam of Darts.
Van Gerwen’s dismantling of Williams took only 20 minutes, highlighting just how devastating MVG’s darts were. Having already experienced major success in 2022 already with the World Matchplay title and the Players’ Championship finals, Van Gerwen is already showing his credentials to get his hands on a fourth world title.
Following his victory over Williams, Van Gerwen said that he fears none of his rivals and that it is they who should be fearing him.
“I'm always trying to play darts at the highest level I possibly can; I know what I'm capable of,” said the 33-year-old.
“I want to win this otherwise it will be a disaster for me, but I know I'm capable of doing that and although there is more pressure on my shoulders - a bigger target. I believe in my own opportunity and I'm looking forward to the next one.
"I never fear anyone. Let them fear me. I'm always the man to beat - even in my sleep. Even when I couldn't win a tournament, my opponents were most happy beating me - that's a fact but I created that problem myself over the last 10 years."
With an astonishing average gap already between Van Gerwen and his rivals, if he continues to perform at his absolute best, they will struggle to keep up with the pace he is setting. MVG’s confidence is brimming and, as we have seen before, that can make him unstoppable.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
