DARTS THROWBACK: Van Gerwen dethrones two-time world champion Lewis in one of the great Ally Pally encounters

Eleven years have passed since Michael van Gerwen made his way to the top of darts. From 2008 to 2011 he hardly seemed to fulfill his promise, but 2012 was the year he really broke through. At the 2012 World Matchplay he reached the quarterfinals, in the Grand Slam of Darts the final and he even won the World Grand Prix. Then there is always the question: what can you achieve at a PDC World Darts Championship?

Michael van Gerwen started that world championship as the seventh seed. In it he won fairly carefree from Paul Lim (3-0), struggled briefly with an on-the-up Peter Wright (4-2), and Colin Lloyd was pushed aside simply but impressively. It was time for Adrian Lewis v Michael van Gerwen in the quarterfinals. The reigning, two-time world champion against the man in form in a mouthwatering clash.

In the first two sets, Lewis and Van Gerwen had to settle in. They each took a set, but it was 17 darters galore. Van Gerwen took the first set 3-0, Lewis won the second set 3-1. In that set, the last two legs went out in 14 darts. Lewis proved in winning the set that he was ready for the remainder of the match. Van Gerwen put himself away on tops, Lewis responded with a 180 and then punished with a 46 in two darts then missed doubles from Van Gerwen.

Lewis and Van Gerwen knew: if I miss, the other punishes mercilessly. In the third set this was proven. Van Gerwen started with a 10 and 14-darter, but then began to miss doubles. Lewis? He then grabbed the third and fourth leg without fuss, albeit in 14 and 18 darts. The fifth leg, however, Van Gerwen's scoring power destroyed Lewis. Despite only 6 out of 27 doubles for Van Gerwen, he was 1-2 ahead in sets.

The British commentator Rod Studd dropped a nice quote with it. "Scoring helps you buy more doubles," in a way the same as 'trebles for show, doubles for dough' by Bobby George. But Studd put it a little more aptly, I think.

In the fourth set, Van Gerwen briefly had no answer to Lewis. Thanks in part to a fine 12-darter and 136 finish, Lewis won the set 3-0, and it was 2-2 in sets again. The fifth set? The roles reversed, and then Van Gerwen won the set slightly more impressively 3-0. In 11, 12 and 15 darts. Meanwhile, Mighty Mike had thrown ten 180s. Van Gerwen's average thus stood at 103.48 with a 3-2 lead. And that despite a load of missed doubles.

The proportions went up and down. In the sixth set it was Lewis again. The set started with a 12-darter and 138-finish with Van Gerwen not being around. The next leg was won by Van Gerwen in 13 darts, but Lewis won the set partly because of good scores and partly because of Van Gerwen missing two full turns on the double. It was 3-1 for Lewis in this set and it was 3-3 in sets.

In this seventh set, Lewis seemed to turn the tide in his favor. Van Gerwen faltered at 1-1 in legs, scoring in the leg he was allowed to start himself. Lewis punished it mercilessly in 13 darts. But Van Gerwen did not let it happen as Lewis was allowed to throw for the set. Although Lewis set himself up on double 20, Van Gerwen unceremoniously threw out 120 to rebalance the set. Van Gerwen was then out in 13 darts in his own leg. Although Lewis was also breathing down his neck again after 12 darts. 3-4 in sets for Van Gerwen.

In the eighth set Van Gerwen was still throwing 103 average, he had even raised his doubles percentage again to 26 percent even though the early stages were disastrous for that statistic. Lewis had to respond again, and he did so with class. A 15-darter, 10-darter and 12-darter ensured that. Van Gerwen would have had to throw two nine-darters to cap this violence. Impossible, it was thus 4-4.

The ninth set had to bring the decision. The first two legs went with the darts, both in five visits. But Lewis turned the match on its head in the third leg: in 11 darts he broke Van Gerwen to nudge infront at 2-1. The next leg he could have finished the match, but missed two darts at tops to win. Van Gerwen broke back with an 83 finish and was delirious. The leg after that he took a shot at victory with a superb 108 finish. In 16 darts he finally saw off Lewis, who was nowhere to be seen: Van Gerwen won 5-4 in an epic high-level match.