Leading up to the World Grand Prix, Van Gerwen had to skip six tournaments due to illness. In Leicester, it appeared that Van Gerwen was not well again either. A heavily sweating 'Mighty Mike' could not make a fight against a strong playing Gurney and lost both sets 3-0.
Statistics from Weekly Dartscast show that it is the first time in 13 years that Van Gerwen failed to win a leg in a match at a ranking major.
The last time Van Gerwen did not win a leg at a ranking major was at the Players Championship Finals in 2011. Then the Dutchman lost 6-0 to Gary Anderson. To put this period in perspective; Van Gerwen then had yet to win his first of 47 PDC majors, while Anderson was also not yet a world champion at the time.
The defeat of Van Gerwen, and earlier Raymond van Barneveld, Gian van Veen and Danny Noppert, also caused another low point. For the first time since the year 2000, there are no Dutchmen in the last sixteen at the World Grand Prix. That year Roland Scholten was the only participant and at the time Scholten lost to Richie Burnett in the first round.
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.
Before tonight's 2-0 (3-0, 3-0) defeat to Daryl Gurney, the last time Michael van Gerwen failed to win a leg in a televised ranking match was 13 years ago...
Gary Anderson 6-0 Michael van Gerwen (2011 Players Championship Finals first round)