Michael van Gerwen qualified for the quarterfinals at the World Series of Darts Finals on Saturday night. However, it did not go easy for Van Gerwen against William O'Connor.
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The Irishman even took a 3-0 lead in the early stages after some misses by the Dutchman. However, with two 14-darters, 'Mighty Mike' returned to 3-2 before O'Connor made it 4-2 with a 13-darter.
Van Gerwen then picked up another two legs and ensured a 4-4 tie. The ninth leg then proved to be the key point. O'Connor left tops and thought he could throw for the 5-4, however Van Gerwen decided otherwise with a great 161 finish. This gave the Dutchman the lead for the first time in the match and then decided the game with a 20-darter.
The 34-year-old will not be bothered by Gerwyn Price for the rest of the tournament. The Welsh defending champion was dumped 6-4 in the second round by Keegan Brown, who produced a 167 finish to win the match in the tenth leg.
The prize pool for this event contains a total of 300,000 pounds. However, the prize money won does not count toward the PDC Order of Merit or other money rankings.
All participants are guaranteed £5,000 in prize money. This amount could eventually rise to a sum of £70,000 in prize money for the winner.
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What are the World Series of Darts?
The World Series tournaments are international events of the PDC organized to promote the sport beyond the (Western) European borders.
Earlier this year, tournaments also took place in Bahrain, Denmark, the United States, Poland, New Zealand and Australia. Past World Series tournaments have also been scheduled in Dubai, Singapore, Japan, Scotland, China, Germany and Austria.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
COMEBACK COMPLETE! 🇳🇱
Michael van Gerwen survives a scare as he kicks off his bid for a fifth World Series Finals crown!
The home hero recovers from 3-0 down to defeat William O'Connor, winning six of the last seven legs to prevail!
📺 bit.ly/WSF23Live | #WSFinals R2