The Urban Dictionary’s top definition of the word “awesome” could barely be pithier: “Something Americans use to describe everything.” The classical meaning of the word has been lost in recent times, and not just in the US. Darts fans, however, are given a regular reminder of its true definition: since his dramatic breakthrough in 2012 Michael van Gerwen has been inspiring awe on a regular basis.
So many moments have bought a lease in the memory bank. Seventeen perfect darts in a world championship semi-final; a scorching comeback to end Phil Taylor’s 29-match unbeaten run in 2013, the moment the darts world order changed; a 6-0 destruction of Adrian Lewis in the world championship semi-final a few weeks later en route to winning the tournament.
The most recent example came at 10.17pm in Glasgow on Sunday 22 November. In the final of the World Series against Peter Wright, in front of a partisan home crowd who booed him throughout, Van Gerwen was on the brink of defeat: 10-9 down, and with Wright waiting on 90 to win the match.
Van Gerwen takes up the story: “All of a sudden a 129 finish, straight in the middle of the bullseye, and then a nice 11-darter on the end.” That 11-darter was against the throw too, but it was the exhilarating defiance of the 129 that really stood out. As finishes go it is not exactly up there with Keith Deller’s 138 – the World Series is nowhere near as big as the world championship – but it’s hard to recall a more concise, emphatic demonstration of Van Gerwen’s rare combination of genius and mental strength. “It showed I am so strong at the crucial moment,” he says, “and I can come back from any position.”
In 2015 Van Gerwen has won 18 tournaments, 172 matches and earned more than £900,000. He followed defeat in last year’s PDC world championship semi-final with 42 wins in the next 43 games, and he goes into this year’s tournament having won his last 21 matches. Yet even those staggering statistics cannot convey the charisma of Van Gerwen – or the experience of watching him, which at times verges on the psychedelic.
He is never more compelling than when he is in trouble. Van Gerwen has become an expert in kicking a man when he’s up. Wright was a two-dart finish away from winning his first TV tournament; less than two minutes later he was shaking hands with Van Gerwen and shaking his head in bewilderment. A week earlier, Taylor led 7-3 at the break in the Grand Slam final. Van Gerwen won the next six legs and went on to triumph 16-13. A fortnight before that, in the European championship final, he won the last four legs to beat the world champion Gary Anderson 11-10. The Van Gerwen surge, a furious blitz of legs in response to apparently imminent defeat, is one of the most thrilling sights in sport.
With the awe comes an aura. In person Van Gerwen, though softly spoken and polite, is more physically imposing than you might expect; on the oche it is his talent that intimidates. He has been the world No1 for two years but recently his form has been as frightening as that of Taylor at his peak. He won all four televised tournaments in November, when he also completed the full set of PDC majors. “This is the best form of my life,” he says. “No question about that.” Van Gerwen’s complete absence of false modesty is refreshing, and he talks with the absent-minded certainty of someone confirming that, yes, of course, two plus two equals four.
He responded to losing his world title with purpose. “Sometimes losing make you stronger,” he says. “You learn, and you need to keep learning because otherwise you won’t get any better.” The old cons – concentration and consistency within games – have largely been achieved; at the moment his only weakness is the occasional bad night on the doubles.
Van Gerwen is in the slightly strange position of being the undisputed world No1 – his earnings on the Order of Merit are more than twice those of Anderson in second – but not the world champion. “If I could swap all the other titles for the world championship I would,” he says. “All day long.” He starts against either Thanawat Gaweenuntawong or René Eidams on the second night of the tournament, a week on Friday, and if all goes to plan he will meet Anderson or Taylor in the final on 3 January.
To some Van Gerwen’s odds of 6-5 to win the tournament are like buying money, but he says the current standard gives almost no margin for error. “I can go all the way but you never know,” he says. “If somebody plays really well against you and you only make one mistake, the game is gone.”
Like against Anderson in last year’s semi-final. The two are friendly off stage; on it their rivalry is intense and brilliant, with stratospheric averages and a dizzying speed that multiplies the entertainment. Anderson beat Van Gerwen in the world championship and the Premier League final, and seemed to be developing a psychological hold before that European championship final last month. Unlike some of his peers, he is obviously stimulated rather than cowed by the challenge of playing Van Gerwen. If they meet in the final it will be an epic before a dart has been thrown.
Losing 6-3 to Anderson in last year’s semi-final hit Van Gerwen brutally hard. He does not just have a fear of failure; he has a loathing of it. “People at home don’t understand how painful it is,” he says. “We all hate losing. If you don’t mind losing you can’t be a great sportsman. I’m not a good actor; I’m sick when I lose.”
The Dutchman also thinks temperament is just as God-given as talent. “I’m a winner. A winner always wants to win. There’s never an end. The tunnel just keeps going and going. I don’t know where it comes from, I think it’s in you. I hate losing at Monopoly too.”
That hatred of defeat has produced many of those startling comebacks. It’s hard to know what is more crushing for an opponent, to lose from a winning position against Van Gerwen or to be battered from the start. The hard way, or the harder way.
Two thrashings stand out this year: a 7-0, 11-minute trouncing of James Wade in the Premier League, when Wade did not get a single dart at double, and a coolly vengeful 16-4 demolition of Kim Huybrechts in the Grand Slam quarter-final when he averaged 111. Van Gerwen may never have played better than he did that night. Not yet, anyway.
He says he can get even better. “Why not? You always need to aim for perfection.” He holds the record for the highest average in a televised match – 121.85 against Steve Beaton in 2012, though that was over only six legs. “I want to get an average out of the roof,” he insists. “In a long game I’d like to hit 118-119. That would be nice. I think it’s possible, but really difficult. Everything needs to be right.”
Van Gerwen says that one record – Taylor’s 16 world championships – is likely to be beyond him. “I won’t be playing when I’m 55, don’t worry about that,” he says in reference to Taylor’s age. “And it’s harder now because there are so many good players. You look at the last day of the World Series: all the games had an average above 100. Amazing. A-may-zing. The standard is out of this world. It’s ridiculous isn’t it?” Ridiculous and, particularly in the case of Van Gerwen, pretty awesome too.
Sky Sports Darts will show the William Hill World Darts Championship from 17 December
Five leading contenders to win the world championships
Michael van Gerwen, 26
World championship titles: 1
The best player in the world, in the best form of his life. Van Gerwen has won his last 21 matches, and averaged more than 100 in 20 of them. The draw is not kind – he could meet Raymond van Barneveld as early as the last 16 – but at the moment he will feel he can beat anyone. He is desperate to regain the trophy after last year’s semi-final defeat to Anderson.
Gary Anderson, 44
World championship titles: 1
For so long the tortured genius of darts, who could crumble under pressure, Anderson toughened up remarkably to become world champion a year ago. He also won the Premier League in May but has underachieved a little since, despite never really looking out of form. He has morphed into a big-game player, who particularly loves meeting Van Gerwen.
Phil Taylor, 55
World championship titles: 16
Taylor says he will not retire even if he wins a 17th world title, though it would be a cathartic experience after three demanding years on and off the stage since his last triumph. His scoring power remains as formidable as ever; it is his best friends on a dartboard – double 8 and double 16 – that have been letting him down. Still, nobody of sound mind is writing him off.
Peter Wright, 45
World championship titles: 0
Wright took a shortcut into the world top ten with his unexpected run to the final two years ago, and has been one of the most consistent players around ever since – even though, thanks mainly to Van Gerwen, he has not quite managed to win his first TV tournament. He is loud and proud, with bespoke, fluorescent hair and outfits for every game.
Adrian Lewis, 30
World championship titles: 2
The champion in 2011 and 2012, Lewis has been slightly left behind by Van Gerwen and Anderson in the 21 months since he won his last major. He remains an outrageous, if erratic, natural talent – nobody else is as likely to follow a 180 with a score of 26 – and looked closer to his best in reaching the final of last month’s Players Championship. The Ally Pally atmosphere usually brings out the best in him. Rob Smyth
