Van Gerwen saw off Bernie Smith who was making his return to the big stage after priorly playing at the World Championship in an infamous game with Justin Pipe but it was no early shock for the Dutchman as he sealed a 6-3 win.
After losing the opening leg, the reigning champion reeled off four consecutive legs to take a commanding lead at 4-1 up turning the game on his head. It was followed up with a 10-dart leg to go 5-2 up to move to within a leg and this confidence start to the tournament was complete with a 70 checkout to claim a 6-3 win.
This solid display also saw a 99.1 average and 50% on the doubles as he looks to retain his title and add to victory in Townsville.
Smith will look to add to his win at the US Darts Masters after early success over Warren Parry. Not too happy with his win though despite the comfortable scoreline.
It was a 6-3 win albeit through 21 missed darts at doubles from 'Bully Boy' as he saw off the Kiwi veteran.
Smith went 4-2 up but was sat at 17 missed darts at double and Parry went to within one with a break of throw. But Parry faltered on his throw and Smith hit double one to make it 5-3 before finally sealing victory on double 20.
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 MARCHES ON! 💚
The reigning champion is safely through to the quarter-finals here in Hamilton as MvG confidently defeats Bernie Smith 6-3!
Up next 👉 Gerwyn Price v Ben Robb
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