That was a semi-final to Michael van Gerwen’s taste. The Dutchman started the match against challenger Chris Dobey with a 180 and then made very short work of it. The three-time champion won 6:1 sets.
“Mighty Mike“, as van Gerwen is called, has the chance to win the Sid Waddell Trophy, which weighs around 23 kilograms and prize money equivalent to around 600,000 euros, on Friday evening (9 p.m.). The opponent will then be either Luke Littler or Stephen Bunting (both England) .
Van Gerwen, who has repeatedly had sporting misfires in recent years Alexandra Palace performed with concentration from the start and quickly gained a lead. In the end, the Dutchman had won 18 legs, Dobey only won ten. There was never really any tension.
Van Gerwen lost three World Cup finals
After victories over former leader Gerwyn Price (Wales) and Northern Irishman Josh Rock, Dobey missed out on improving his World Cup by reaching the final for the first time. In the world rankings, he still improved by five positions to tenth place.
Van Gerwen won his three world championship titles in 2014, 2017 and 2019. Compared to his years of dominance, his returns at the biggest tournament in the world are rather meager. He lost the finals in 2013 (against Phil Taylor), 2020 (against Peter Wright) and 2023 (against Michael Smith). With a final win, van Gerwen would return to second place in the world rankings. The clear number one remains Luke Humphries.