Michael van Gerwen was eliminated in the second round of a
European Tour tournament for the second time this season on Saturday night. At the
European Darts Matchplay, his Dutch rival Raymond van Barneveld was too strong 6-3.
Van Gerwen twice took a break lead against Van Barneveld, but missed four valuable chances at double in the eighth leg. Van Barneveld then made it 5-3 and then sealed the verdict with a 14-darter in his own leg.
''A disappointing evening,'' Van Gerwen commented on social media after his elimination. ''I didn't play my a-game, but we'll done Raymond van Barneveld.''
The three-time world champion then set his sights on the World Matchplay later this month. ''I'll be working hard to get better results there. Thanks for the support,'' Van Gerwen concluded.
