Van Gerwen on his upcoming opponent Smith: 'Phenomenal player but when it comes to it, he makes a lot of mistakes'

Michael van Gerwen will face off against Michael Smith in the Quarter-Finals of the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts in the first match of Saturday night's session.

Van Gerwen spoke about his opponent and how he makes a lot of mistakes and hasn't lived up to his potential with only a Shanghai Darts Masters being called out.

''Mentally he's maybe not as strong as like Gary Anderson. But in potential, his capability is probably better than him. Michael Smith is a phenomenal player, but we all know when it comes to it, he also makes a lot of mistakes," said Van Gerwen after his win over Anderson.

''They only call him towards the stage as the Shanghai Masters (champion). For his ability and with his talent, it's not enough. I need to make sure I keep it that way.''