Van Gerwen did not reach his best level, but eventually won 5-4 against Martijn Kleermaker having trailed 4-2. "The feeling towards this match was good, but it didn't show in the match itself. Actually that was purely to do with attitude, I was just far too relaxed on stage," Van Gerwen said toViaplay.
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"In a game like this, you have to show your teeth from the beginning and I didn't do that, I can really blame myself for that. I really regret my weak performance tonight."
Van Gerwen was certain beforehand of qualifying for the next round. "Still, I wanted to make the best of this match. But if you're not one hundred percent, you can run into problems. That also showed against Martijn, I had a very hard time winning after all."
'Mighty Mike' will go through to the last 16 as undefeated group winner. He will take on Damon Heta on Thursday.
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.