Michael van Gerwen "not the monster he once was" according to third round opponent Brendan Dolan: "Maybe he's there to be got at"

Brendan Dolan has ensured a post-Christmas return to the Alexandra Palace after seeing off Lok Yin Lee in straight sets to set up a third round meeting with non other than Michael van Gerwen at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship.

Lee had surprisingly defeated Dutch former Lakeside finalist Chris Landman in the first round. However, the 23-year-old could not match the level of that match against Dolan. As such, 'The History Maker' did not have to play too great himself and managed to qualify for the next round relatively easily.

"I'm relieved to be honest," admits Dolan when speaking to the media afterwards, having been struggling with injury concerns of late. "I actually started practicing a month ago, for the first time this year. So I knew my follow through was better, there was a better speed to my throw and for that reason, my throw is stronger and I know I lacked that recently because of the injury and that dented my confidence, so to get the win, yeah there is relief."

"That definitely wasn't my best. It was brilliant finishing but I can score a lot better than that and for that reason I know I can play a better game if I keep the finishing to that standard," he continues, optimistic ahead of that aforementioned clash with Van Gerwen in the next round.

"For a professional dart player that's been in the game so long as me, I want to play against the best and I want to play against them in the biggest tournaments in the world," says Dolan, who reached the quarter-final stage at the World Darts Championship last year, defeating Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson among others before eventually falling to Luke Littler. "I had a good run last year and I want to do something similar this year, because for me, if I've done it last year, why can't I do it this year?"

"It's 12 months since that happened, but for me, it's in the back of my head that on this stage, I still can do it. So that is a really good amount of confidence I can take with me," Dolan adds. "I see Michael probably not as the monster he once was, because he was unbelievable, it was really hard to get under his skin. But I think now, with the way the darts has evolved and the way his game has, he's there to look after his kids and darts is not the be all and end all which it once was. Maybe the dedication isn't the same and maybe he is there to be got at, but it's all on the day and I've beaten him before."