Compared to his win over Mensur Suljovic, Michael van Gerwen was not made to produce his best game as he eased through to the Quarter-Finals of the PDC World Darts Championship in a 4-1 sets win.
Van Gerwen will return to face Chris Dobey on New Years Day, a player who only just sealed his maiden win over the Green Machine at the European Championship after a barren winning run.
For Van Duijvenbode, he spent most of the match frustrated and beating himself up as MVG in usual fashion pounced on every miss to win through with a 100.42 average, three 180's, and 43% on the outer ring.
Van Gerwen started superbly with an opening 88 checkout for a break. Van Duijvenbode hit back with a 117 checkout for 1-1 with MVG waiting for 2-0.
MVG again broke though with Van Duijvenbode unable to hold his throw hitting a 91 checkout. Van Duijvenbode missed a multitude of break chances and Van Gerwen took the set.
A 91 checkout saw MVG double his lead in the second set. He missed three darts at 94 for the set and Van Duijvenbode smashed in a 170 checkout to break. He missed three darts to hold and Van Gerwen took the set on double four.
A 112 checkout saw him level up at 1-1 in the third set. A 76 checkout saw Van Duijvenbode go one away from a set back. Van Duijvenbode took the set.
MVG missed the bull for a 170 but with Van Duijvenbode way back he hit double eight for a 1-0 lead in the fourth set.
Van Gerwen missed 146 for the break and Van Duijvenbode hit 114 despite a careless end to the set in terms of setting it up. But MVG went one away from a 3-1 sets lead with a hold.
Van Duijvenbode couldn’t get a shot at 153 to hold. MVG though missed multiple darts for the set and finally Van Duijvenbode made it 2-2.
Van Duijvenbode could not find a treble at all and Van Gerwen helped himself to a 180 and double 12 for the set.
More darts were spurned by Van Duijvenbode sat at 7/22 and Van Gerwen picked his pocket with a 78 checkout to go two away from the winning line. He sealed the win with a 120 checkout.