Michael van Gerwen is vastberaden om sterker terug te komen na zijn verlies op het William Hill World Darts Championship tegen Dave Chisnall.
De Nederlander zag zijn poging op een vierde wereldtitel in duigen vallen na een verlies tegen een erg sterke Chisnall op Nieuwjaarsdag. De man uit Morecambe won met 5-0 van de als eerste geplaatste Van Gerwen.
Van Gerwens gemiddelde van 98,29 was zijn laagste dit toernooi en met 7 uit 16 op de dubbels was dit ook zijn laagste percentage van dit WK. Chisnall pakte zijn kansen in een geweldige wedstrijd.
Het verlies tegen Chisnall was voor Van Gerwen het eerste in 28 ontmoetingen. Ook laat Van Gerwen zijn nummer één positie op de wereldranglijst in onzekerheid achter. Gerwyn Price neemt deze positie van hem over als hij op zondagavond het toernooi weet te winnen.
Michael van Gerwen sprak op vrijdagavond direct na zijn verlies voor de camera van SkySports.
VAN GERWEN: "It was a difficult match. You know when Dave Chisnall's in form you have to work really hard if you're going to beat him. I didn't really show up, my scoring power wasn't there.
I only can blame myself for this and no-one else. Dave took every opportunity he had to make it as difficult as possible for me and fair play to him, but I let myself down a bit.
I'm gutted, but what can you do? It's something to think about in the next few days.
It is the best he ever played, I know that. Every opportunity he had, he took and fair play to him. Today I need to admit I wasn't there and say well done to Dave.
I was looking to my stats and it's nothing like my game. I need to reflect back a little bit on this game, because you need to think where did things go wrong, and where it didn't go wrong.
The only thing that wasn't too bad was my doubles, but if you score that bad against someone who's playing really well, like Dave, then you only can blame yourself.
Of course it hurts, and of course I wanted to do a lot more in this tournament, but that's the price you pay when you lose.
I know what I'm capable of and today for some reason it didn't click, it wasn't there, but I will be back."
Van Gerwen versloeg eerder in het toernooi al Ryan Murray, Ricky Evans en Joe Cullen op weg naar de kwartfinales. Hij overleefde pijlen voor de wedstrijd in zijn wedstrijd tegen Cullen.
VAN GERWEN: "Everyone, from the first round until today, played probably better than I ever saw them play [before] and then I need to make sure I go back to the practice board and make sure I get back for the next tournament.
This hurts me. Losing is always a negative, if you lose 5-0, 5-1, 5-4 it doesn't matter. If you lose, you lose. You always need to think about where it went wrong and make sure I try to get better for the next time.
That has to be done in the next few days."
William Hill World Darts Championship 2021
Vrijdag 1 januari
Middagsessie
2x Kwartfinale
Stephen Bunting 5-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Gary Anderson 5-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Avondsessie
2x Kwartfinale
Gerwyn Price 5-4 Daryl Gurney
Dave Chisnall 5-0 Michael van Gerwen
Zaterdag 2 januari (19.00)
Halve finales
Stephen Bunting v Gerwyn Price
Dave Chisnall v Gary Anderson
Best of 11 sets
© Foto: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)