Michael van Gerwen failed to win his first tournament of 2024 on Friday night. The 34-year-old Dutchman went down 8-5 against Luke Littler in the final of the Bahrain Darts Masters.
Despite the defeat, Van Gerwen could look back on a successful trip to Bahrain. "It has been a fantastic tournament - of course I am disappointed but that is how sports work; you win some, you lose some," said Van Gerwen.
"It is never going to be a good week when Michael is not winning, simple as that. He has had a fantastic tournament as well - everyone says he is a new kid, but everyone knows what he is capable of.
Van Gerwen hit a 100-plus average three times in a row, but was stuck at 87.80 in the final. "I couldn't produce what I was doing in the early games[in the final]. You can only punish yourself for that. You have to make sure you get better for the next one."