"Wessel often fails, He’s a bit of a choker" - Van Gerwen kept faith as Nijman falls apart at European Championship

Michael van Gerwen survived a major scare as he scraped through to the second round of the European Darts Championship in Dortmund. The four-time champion edged compatriot Wessel Nijman 6–5 in a nerve-shredding encounter to keep his title hopes alive.

The all-Dutch clash began at a blistering pace. Van Gerwen broke throw immediately with a 13-darter, only for Nijman to respond in style with back-to-back 12-darters to move ahead. “Mighty Mike” levelled with a 14-darter, but his younger opponent quickly regained control. A 15-darter followed by a 71 checkout saw Nijman stretch his lead to 4–2 and threaten a major upset.

However, Van Gerwen steadied himself and clawed his way back. Two consecutive 14-darters brought the match level once more, before Nijman missed two crucial darts at double to regain the advantage. The three-time world champion made him pay, finishing 48 to move 5–4 up — his first lead since the opening leg.

In the tenth leg, Van Gerwen squandered three match darts, allowing Nijman to capitalise with a composed 71 checkout to force a decider. The drama only intensified in the final leg. Nijman missed a host of match darts — including four in one visit — while Van Gerwen also faltered on 95. But when another opportunity came his way, Van Gerwen finally sealed victory with a clinical 70 checkout to complete a dramatic escape.

Afterwards, Van Gerwen admitted he was far from satisfied with his performance. “Not relieved, no. I just made it very difficult for myself,” he told Viaplay. “I missed three darts to win 6–4, then made it exciting again. Luckily, I managed to take it in the last leg.”

The Dutchman felt the turning point came from Nijman’s inability to handle the key moments rather than his own form.

“I knew this could happen. When it really matters, Wessel often fails. He’s a bit of a choker, so I just kept faith. The last leg from me was bad, but I kept believing. When you still get the chance and he’s fumbling, you have to take it.”

Despite describing the win as an “escape”, Van Gerwen took some positives from the contest. “The first ten legs were played at a really high level — everything was under 15 darts. Not many players can do that. It’s just a shame it got so messy after that,” he said.

Van Gerwen also had words of encouragement for Nijman, who has impressed on the floor circuit but is yet to replicate that form on stage. “Wessel’s been doing fantastic lately. I have a lot of respect for what he’s showing. But now he needs to do it on stage too, and that’s where he still struggles. A shame for him — but good for me.”