Van Gerwen points at dartboard supplier after exit at World Cup: 'Then you're dealing with amateurs'

Michael van Gerwen and Dirk van Duijvenbode were eliminated in the Quarter-Finals of the World Cup of Darts on Sunday by the later champion Scotland, who came into the tournament with John Henderson and Peter Wright.

Van Gerwen had put the Netherlands 1-0 up by winning the first single against Henderson (4-1). Van Duijvenbode then took a 1-0 lead against Wright and thought he could make it 2-0 by hitting the bullseye, but the arrow bounced out off the dartboard almost immediately. It was the turning point in the match and the victory went to Wright (4-1). In the pairs the Dutchmen got plenty of chances too, but Van Gerwen and Van Duijvenbode missed too many doubles and saw Scotland take advantage with a 4-3 win in the decider.

The moment of the arrow on the bullseye that fell out in Van Duijvenbode's single and the missed doubles in the pairs, were in the minds of the Dutch duo afterwards.

''That arrow was in'', Van Gerwen reacted against RTL 7. ''Then you just have to deal with amateurs who supply the dartboards. After that he got two more darts, but of course it gets into your head.''

The poor quality of the dartboard also bothered Van Duijvenbode on the scoring front. ''I am someone who throws 180'ers very easily, but the darts were hanging in the board (in a strange way). If you are dependent on your first arrow, then it is difficult. This way I could not throw those 180's. Then the arrow on the bullseye falls out and that frustrates you and then there is more pressure on the next turn and you miss it'', he looked back on his encounter with Wright.

Van Gerwen felt the Netherlands also had the upper hand in the pairs. ''I think we were the better team. If you don't take your chances, like the three darts I had on double 10, then it's just not going to work out.''

''These things are just part of it. Of course it is very annoying that you lose here, but deep down you know you were the better of the two. That hurts me. Peter Wright is just a scaredy-cat, he did not dare to throw against me (the single). Dirk was also better than him, but then you have to use your chances. It's no different, we have to deal with it'', said Van Gerwen, who won the World Cup of Darts with Raymond van Barneveld in 2014, 2017 and 2018.