Michael van Gerwen is deeply affected by his spectacular elimination in the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam of Darts. The Dutchman received no fewer than eight arrows on Sunday evening to decide the game against Simon Whitlock, but he missed them all and drew the short straw.
Michael van Gerwen is deeply affected by his spectacular elimination in the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam of Darts. The Dutchman received no fewer than eight arrows on Sunday evening to decide the game against Simon Whitlock, but he missed them all and drew the short straw.
“I am really sick of this”, a disappointed Van Gerwen told RTL 7 Darts in Coventry. “When you get that many racing arrows, it just can’t go wrong. And if it does go wrong, you’re just an incredible prick. Period.”
The 31-year-old from Brabant missed his first three match darts at 15-13 and saw Whitlock, twenty years older, come back into the match with a break. At 15-15, the world’s number one left five more game arrows unused and ‘The Wizard’, who threw 180 a total of twenty times, took his chance by throwing out the match with double-8.
“Whitlock kept the pressure on and did the right things at the right times, but I armed myself okay. I was the boss on the podium,” said Van Gerwen. “But when you miss so many opportunities, you just have to grab your arrows and go home. I am very sick here, but really sick of it.”
‘People underestimate what this does to me’
His elimination in the quarterfinals is a big downer for Van Gerwen, who wanted to end a period with disappointing results in the major tournaments at the Grand Slam of Darts. ‘Mighty Mike’ was also beaten by Whitlock in the quarter finals of the World Grand Prix in October.
“I know better than anyone that Simon has been throwing a lot better lately, but I just shouldn’t have lost here,” said the three-time Grand Slam of Darts winner. “People may underestimate what this does to me. I’m on my way back to my good form. Losing a match like that is extra sour.”
Van Gerwen does not fear that his painful loss will affect his results in the upcoming tournaments and the World Cup, which starts in mid-December. “I can easily put it aside. But then again: if you have such a good chance of going to the semi-finals, then you just have to take it.”