Michael van Gerwen has qualified as group winner for the Grand Slam of Darts. Martijn Kleermaker could briefly hope for a shock against the world number three, but had to bow out in the end.
ADVERTISEMENT
There was not much at stake in the match between the two Dutchmen. Kleermaker had already been eliminated, while Van Gerwen was assured of a place in the last sixteen after two group matches.
NOW: Click here to go to our LIVE SCORE to follow the Grand Slam of Darts.
Van Gerwen did not play a good match and Kleermaker seemed to take advantage of that at first. Three double misses by Van Gerwen allowed 'The Dutch Giant' to take a 2-0 lead. In the fourth leg, Van Gerwen missed four more doubles and Kleermaker hit double 10 to make it 3-1.
In the fifth leg, Van Gerwen hit 84 for 2-3, followed by a 76 check-out by Kleermaker for a 4-2 lead. Kleermaker then only needed to win a leg once in 15 darts, but failed three times. Two 20-darters and a 94 finish meant the win still went to 'Mighty Mike' 5-4.
While Andrew Gilding sealed his spot in the Last 16 for the first time defeating Haruki Muramatsu 5-1 in Group F. It was a superb display from the UK Open champion as he hit a 99.8 average and a high checkout of 136 en route to moving through.
Danny Noppert is the player who is likely to join him. He needs four legs to qualify for sure. Only Brendan Dolan could halt him as they battle shortly.
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.
MvG LIMPS OVER THE LINE!
It was far from vintage MvG but he finds a way to win against Martijn Kleermaker to make it three wins from three in Group G.
📺 bit.ly/GSODLive#GSOD | Group G