Michael van Gerwen made sure that his PDC ranking title drought wouldn't make into an unwanted record of no titles in a year for the first time in a decade by winning Players Championship 29 on Wednesday.
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He defeated Nathan Aspinall 8-5 to join Chris Dobey in the victors this week in PDC Super Series 8 but he isn't resting on his laurels and while the confidence is coming back, it's only one notch on his route back to the top.
"In the last Super Series I lost three games with averages well over 100, of course that's annoying but you have to keep believing in yourself," Van Gerwen reflected.
"When that happens you have to work harder, and today was one of those hard days where you have to step up a bit and I did the right things at the right moments.
"A win like this is going to give me a lot of confidence but there's a lot of darts still to play this year and I always treat every game like a final.
"Overall, I feel good and that's the most important thing. My hunger is back and my performances are getting back to where they were."
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.
𝗩𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝟮𝟵!
It's sheer relief for Michael van Gerwen as he finally picks up his first ranking title in 2021, beating Nathan Aspinall 8-5 in the final to secure the victory.
A great final and MvG gets over the line!