“He realises that at the moment he isn't playing for the title” – Michael van Gerwen’s conspicuous joy speaks volumes, says Van der Voort

Michael van Gerwen flashed his old level at times during the Czech Darts Open last weekend, but the road back to his best is still long, according to Vincent van der Voort. In the podcast Darts Draait Door, the former professional analysed his close friend’s display. The matches against Wessel Nijman and Jonny Clayton offered hope, although Van der Voort also saw that later in the tournament Van Gerwen had little left physically and mentally.

Van Gerwen initially struggled with Mario Vandenbogaerde in the first round. The Dutchman did move in front, but failed to shake off his Belgian opponent for good.

"Vandenbogaerde is obviously not the fastest player. If you're already out of form and have to work very hard, he is simply a difficult opponent," Van der Voort analysed. "He is very solid, and Michael simply couldn't make the difference."

Van der Voort felt Van Gerwen should have put the game to bed much earlier. "Then he goes 3-1 up and messes it up a little bit by failing to make it 4-1. From that moment on, it becomes a very difficult match. Mario also gets the chance to beat him. He simply has to make it 5-5."

Had that happened, Van der Voort is not sure how Van Gerwen would have handled the pressure. "Then you get a very nervous final leg. Of course, he has more experience, but at this point you still think: oh God, here we go again. Then it's time for Doctor Bibber to come out."

Later in the tournament, however, Van der Voort saw a very different Van Gerwen. Against Nijman, the three-time world champion impressed precisely because he recovered after a poor spell.

"He starts very well against Nijman, and then for three legs it's absolutely nothing. At that point you were actually afraid that Nijman was going to run all over him. And then he still shows what is left in him. Then it is all very impressive and very good."

That match could be important for Van Gerwen’s confidence, Van der Voort believes. "I think it will have felt really good for him. That confirmation of: wait a minute, I can also throw an 11- or 12-darter at 4-4. So that is still in there."

He then produced another display to bank confidence against Clayton. "Then in the evening against Clayton, he puts in another good performance. I think that will have felt really good for him."

Van der Voort also noticed something striking in his compatriot’s reaction. Van Gerwen, who for years only settled for titles, clearly enjoyed an individual win. "The happiness after beating Clayton... Whereas Van Gerwen normally only wants to go for the title. Now he gets so much encouragement from these kinds of victories."

Van der Voort does not see that as a bad sign. "On the one hand, I think it is actually very good, because he realises that at the moment he isn't playing for the title. His level simply needs to improve overall."

At the same time, Van der Voort warns against overstating the resurgence. A semi-final is a step forward, but in his view Van Gerwen is still far from the level he is chasing.

"It is a good result. It has been a while since we've seen him throw like that, and also in two matches in a row. That is good for him, but ultimately you have to be critical."

In the semi-final against Luke Littler, Van der Voort saw a spent Van Gerwen. "That was simply bad. You could see that the strength was no longer there. But then you see how much energy it took to play those two matches. That's why that training is so important."

According to Van der Voort, it’s not only about Van Gerwen’s physical condition. "I think Michael has a reasonable amount of fitness. He plays padel regularly and does enough. But of course, it is mental as well. He is used to that arm doing whatever he wants it to do, and it hasn't been doing that lately."

That’s why consistent practice is essential, he argues. Van Gerwen now seems to realise more work is needed to get back towards his old level. "Fortunately, he also realises that he needs to do more and he is doing more. But you can't train for one week and then think: okay, I'm back, now it's going to happen and every match will be top level. Of course it doesn't work like that."

Van der Voort therefore sees it as a long-term process. "The key now is to keep going. Keep training, training, training. It will be a case of ups and downs. You really have to look at this over a period of a few months."

That is where the biggest challenge lies, he believes. "I'm really curious to see whether he can keep this up, putting so much attention and time into it. Work has to be done throughout the whole week. From Monday to Wednesday, perhaps Thursday. And then it has to happen on Saturday and Sunday."