Michael van Gerwen meets best friend in first round Dutch Darts Masters: "I want to win the tournament, so I just have to beat him"

Michael van Gerwen will be in action this weekend at the Dutch Darts Masters. This is already the second tournament of the World Series of Darts this year after the Bahrain Darts Masters.

Van Gerwen will take on his good friend Vincent van der Voort in the opening round. "That's a bit unfortunate but you can't do anything about it. It is what it is. We both don't participate in bullying or games, we are professionals. We just have to deal with this properly. I want to win the tournament, so I just have to beat him. Even though it's my best friend," Van Gerwen said to Sportnieuws.nl.

The past World Darts Championship ended in disappointment for Van Gerwen, who went down in the quarterfinals against Scott Williams. Perhaps his biggest disappointment ever at a World Championship? "No, then you're exaggerating. The guy can just throw well, only I just fell through the ice for myself. I have to take the right learning moments from this and from there I have to look forward and make sure everything gets better."

After that defeat against Williams, Van Gerwen did not want to give an interview. "Viaplay asked if I wanted to do the interview, but I had nothing to say at that moment. They gave me that space, it's not that you are obliged to. That I might be fined? Yes, that's possible. Only I've never had a fine for that, you know. Raymond did I think, I'm not sure."

At the past World Championship, Luke Littler grew into a real sensation. "I didn't see it, I did follow some on Livescore but I didn't watch a match after my elimination. I hope it will be a clash like between Phil Taylor and myself. That's good for the sport anyway, everyone wants to see that. There are going to be a lot of great matches between us."