“When things are hard and things are not going your way, it’s a tough game" - Michael van Gerwen struggles past Kim Huybrechts at German Darts Grand Prix

Michael van Gerwen narrowly secured his place in the third round of the 2025 German Darts Grand Prix on Sunday evening. The Dutchman survived three missed match darts from Kim Huybrechts and eventually edged a 6-5 victory, despite the Belgian averaging over 102.

Van Gerwen made a strong start against the Belgian, taking early leads of 2-0 and 3-1, but he let them slip. After missing a bullseye attempt in the ninth leg, Huybrechts produced a superb 12-darter to go 5-4 in front. ‘The Hurricane’ then had chances to close out the match in leg ten but couldn’t hold his nerve, missing three match darts. Van Gerwen punished him by hitting double 16 to level at 5-5, and then comfortably won the deciding leg with a 13-darter.

“It was definitely a rollercoaster,” Van Gerwen reflected afterward. “I’m not going through the easiest patch in my life, so I'm battling for every win I can,” said the three-time world champion in his on-stage interview.

Van Gerwen, a 37-time Euro Tour event winner, is going through a tough spell. He hasn’t won a title yet this season and currently sits outside the top four in the Premier League Darts standings. Still, he remains optimistic. “When things are hard and things are not going your way, it’s a tough game, but I'm glad I battled through; it was a really important win for myself.”