Michael van Gerwen has reached the Quarter-Finals of the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts after a classic clash at the Aldersley Leisure Village dubbed the past and present against the future as he edged past Josh Rock 10-8 who hit a nine-dart finish in his only break of the game.
ADVERTISEMENT
Van Gerwen sealed the epic win with a sole break of throw in the form of a 142 checkout in the back end of the tie which proved telling as he averaged 107.7 with four ton plus checkouts compared to 104 from Rock who hit eight 180's and 66.7% on the outer ring but will be going home after an incredible statement.
It was a blistering start which gave all darting fans a tungsten treat and lived up to the pre match billing as Van Gerwen started with a 124 on the bull to start the tie before Rock hit back with the nine-dart finish.
He celebrated as wildly as he did against Luke Humphries in the group and looked to have injured his ankle but this didn't hamper his throwing ability.
Rock continued to regain the upperhand at 5-4 and 7-6 in a passage of play which included a 110 from MVG, an 11-darter from Rock and then a 100 checkout from Van Gerwen.
No player was giving an inch until 8-7 in which MVG provided the aforementioned 142 checkout which Rock could only follow up with holds of throw and despite initially missing match darts, Rock was only on 148 so MVG returned for double 10 to seal it.
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.