At least no tennis balls flew onto the stage. The world darts elite stopped in Berlin on Thursday evening as part of the Premiere League, but the protests from football spilled over into the Mercedes-Benz Arena: “Shit DFB, shit DFL,” chanted a majority of the more than 10,000 visitors several times during the matches.
There was also agreement about who would be the focus of the audience on stage. The sympathies had already become clear early on the evening of the second match day. Even before the first arrow flew across the stage, the reading of the upcoming fixtures gave valid clues: youngster Luke Littler, who has had to slightly modify his World Cup tag as a 16-year-old prodigy since his birthday on January 21st, and – still – Peter Wright received the loudest cheers. A balance of power that even the German-colored jerseys of Nathan Aspinall, Michael Smith and Gerwyn Price were unable to change significantly.
Michael van Gerwen took the victory before the only German appearance of the PDC traveling circus, which will travel through Europe on 16 match days until the final on May 23rd. On an evening in which five of the seven games were only decided in the decider, fittingly with a 6:5 against Littler, who, by reaching the final, made clear his ambition to qualify as one of the top four for the finals on his debut in the league .
How bright is he shining this season? Michael van Gerwen is ready for more duels with Luke Littler
Quelle: Getty Images/Catherine Ivill
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Nathan Aspinall, on the other hand, continues to have a hard time. The World Matchplay champion is in a form crisis and after the painful 1:11 last weekend at the Masters against Stephen Bunting, he lost a 4-1 lead in the quarter-finals against Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman checked on double 12 to win.
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The dethroned world champion then made the second comeback of the evening. Michael Smith was already 0:3 behind against Gerwyn Price, but scored the first highlight of the evening with a 170 in the fifth leg of his quarterfinal and reduced the score to 2:3. The final on the first match day in Cardiff also produced world-class results in Berlin with nine 180s. Smith, matchday winner a week ago, had an average of 101. It was even 104 points for Price, who forced the decider with a 170, but was left behind again there.
At the end of the best match of the evening: Gerwyn Price (right) and Michael Smith
Quelle: dpa/Andreas Gora
Littler also had to go to the decider afterwards. The teenager had an average of more than 110 points against Rob Cross after nine legs, but was unable to break away decisively and therefore went the full distance at 6:5.
A successful Berlin premiere for Littler, as was also the case shortly afterwards for the other World Cup finalists. To the chagrin of many fans, world champion Luke Humphries completed the first Premiere League win of his career with a 6-4 win against Peter Wright. The world number one closed with an eleven-darter over double 8 and double 8.
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As in the previous week, this meant a new edition of the World Cup final. Unlike the 2:6 in Cardiff, Humphries kept the match open this time, but had to admit defeat again with 40 points remaining in the decider. Littler checked on double 10 to make it 6:5
Van Gerwen had previously qualified for the final. Thanks to outstanding scoring, MVG gained an early lead and made it 5-1, but had to start a comeback against Smith, who, like in the quarter-finals, had to go into the decider, where six perfect darts were needed to reach his first final of the still young Premier League. To make the league season perfect.
“We are only on the second matchday,” said van Gerwen after his triumph, but also made it clear that this victory against the Crown Prince could have far-reaching effects. “I withstood the pressure. I feel really good, it could have been a key moment for me. Because there’s a lot more to come from me,” said van Gerwen, who, like all observers, assumes that the duels with Littler and Humphries will dominate the season.
In the final leg of the evening it was van Gerwen who had the chance to win the head-to-head race. There were 122 points on the board – he didn’t have the bullseye to erase them. Since Littler then missed victory twice on double 10, MVG ended up with the happier ending. “It was a fantastic night for darts when you see the performances in each leg,” the champion concluded with true words.
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Premier League, 2nd matchday
Quarterfinals:
Nathan Aspinall (ENG) – Michael van Gerwen (NED) 4:6
Michael Smith (ENG) – Gerwyn Price (WAL) 6:5
Luke Littler (ENG) – Rob Cross (ENG) 6:5
Luke Humphries (ENG) – Peter Wright (SCO) 6:4
Semifinals:
Michael van Gerwen (NED) – Michael Smith (ENG) 6:5
Luke Littler (ENG) – Luke Humphries (ENG) 6:5
Endgame:
Michael van Gerwen (NED) – Luke Littler (ENG) 6:5
Tabel:
1. Michael Smith (ENG) +6 legs / 7 points
2. Michael van Gerwen (NED) +3 / 5
3. Luke Littler (ENG) +3 / 5
4. Gerwyn Price (WAL) +1 / 3
——
5. Rob Cross (ENG) -2 / 2
6. Luke Humphries (ENG) -3 / 2
7. Nathan Aspinall (ENG) -4 / 0
8. Peter Wright (SCO) -5 / 0
