"You can’t miss those kinds of things, especially not against him" - Michael van Gerwen no match for rampant Wade at the UK Open

Michael van Gerwen was convincingly knocked out on Saturday evening in the last 16 of the UK Open. In Minehead, James Wade proved far too strong for the Dutchman with a 10-3 win, as Van Gerwen had no answer to his opponent’s high level. Wade produced an exceptionally strong performance with a 105.83 average and a checkout rate of nearly sixty percent.

After the match, Van Gerwen was critical of his own display on Viaplay and admitted he gave Wade too much room early on. “I think I gave him too much confidence at the start of the match. I miss an important chance, I believe a 111 checkout, but that in itself doesn’t matter. The problem is that he immediately gets three darts at a double after that. You can’t miss those kinds of things, especially not against him.”

After the opening phase, Wade took complete control. The Englishman broke Van Gerwen multiple times with 11- and 12-dart legs and never once let his lead slip. According to Van Gerwen, that was mainly the result of his own weak start. “After that he just starts throwing fantastically well. You have to give him credit, because after that it was James Wade at a level I don’t often see him reach.”

Wade broke the Dutchman a total of five times and built a commanding lead in a short span. Van Gerwen couldn’t live with the pace and saw the match slip from his grasp early. Wade broke ‘Mighty Mike’ five times in total, three times in 12 darts and twice in 11. That says it all.

“But that has everything to do with the start of the match,” Van Gerwen analyzed Wade’s surge. “I can blame myself for that, and I know that better than anyone.”

The defeat ended the tournament for Van Gerwen, who had hoped in Minehead to make a push for a fourth UK Open title.