Michael van Gerwen completely unexpectedly failed in the quarter-finals of the Darts World Cup. The Dutchman lost 3:5 to outsider Scott Williams. Now his manager suggested that food poisoning could have played a decisive role in the co-favorite’s exit from the World Cup.
“Incredible. This is not the way I wanted to start 2024. I haven’t reached my A-game, this defeat hits me hard,” wrote Michael van Gerwen on X on the evening of his surprising defeat in the quarter-finals of the Darts World Cup (formerly Twitter).
The 34-year-old couldn’t find his game at all against the Englishman Scott Williams. The three-time world champion had big problems, especially on the doubles fields. After a 2-1 set lead, he gave up six legs in a row. Williams also played inconsistently, but was there in the crucial moments.
Darts World Cup: Did van Gerwen play with stomach problems?
Over the entire game, “Mighty Mike” played a three-dart average of 93.41 points, the second-worst average of all quarter-final participants. Apparently this could also have been due to food poisoning, which last year’s number two finalist contracted while visiting the burger chain “Nando’s”, according to “NOS”.
In its report, the Dutch broadcaster relies on the statements of van Gerwen’s manager. The three-time world champion did not give any interviews after the surprising World Cup exit and, according to “NOS”, immediately disappeared into a taxi and was driven to the players’ hotel. The darts star felt “as if he had to throw up,” it is said.
Williams also said after his World Cup coup that he had the feeling that van Gerwen was uncomfortable. “He was often, really often, two or three millimeters below the triples with his darts,” said the World Cup shooting star at the press conference.