Michael van Gerwen has continued his winning form into the UK Open as he looks to regain the title for a fourth time this weekend and he saw off rival Gary Anderson to begin his weekend.
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Van Gerwen was made to work by Anderson winning it 10-7 with a break being the difference in favour of 'Mighty Mike' throughout the tie.
He claimed that to go 2-1 up with an 84 checkout and went 3-1 and 5-2 up from there with another break going the way of the Green Machine. It was immediately erased by Anderson on double 20 after Van Gerwen missed darts to hold.
But he always kept him at arms length with hold after hold. A pivotal moment came when Van Gerwen produced a 115 used two bullseyes to go 8-6 up and Anderson from there spurned the opportunity to break which would have seen him level up.
This allowed Van Gerwen to continue to build towards the finishing line which he reached as a result of Anderson chasing round the board on 40 and this allowed MVG back for 48 for the win.
While elsewhere, Callan Rydz punished four missed match darts from Nathan Aspinall in the deciding leg to seal a 10-9 victory and claim his spot in the Last 32 in a thrilling tie.
For Aspinall, he couldn't replicate his form from this past weekend in Riesa as his rise back from injury continues, while for Rydz, a spot in the draw later awaits.
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 𝗗𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗢! 🟢
Look what it means to Michael van Gerwen who defeats his old adversary Gary Anderson 10-7 in a thrilling battle between two icons of the sport!
📺 Up next 👉 Joe Cullen v Peter Wright
#CazooUKOpen | Main Stage