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Daryl Gurney beat Michael van Gerwen (Picture: Kieran Cleeves/PDC)

Darts results: Michael van Gerwen fails to win a leg in a whitewash defeat to Daryl Gurney at the World Grand Prix

By Sporting Life

Darts

Tue October 08, 2024 · 2M ago

Michael van Gerwen crashed out of the Boylesports World Grand Prix after failing to win a single leg in a 2-0 defeat to Daryl Gurney.

The six-time champion's demoralising defeat was summed up in the final leg when he strangely hit a 180 to leave double three, which he failed to take out before watching his opponent complete the surprising rout.

Gurney converted six of his nine attempts at a finishing double and averaged an impressive 93 compared to MVG's 87 to set up a last 16 clash against Joe Cullen.

GURNEY WHITEWASHES VAN GERWEN!

Daryl Gurney dismisses the world number two as he beats Michael van Gerwen 2-0 in sets, with van Gerwen failing to record a leg in the match.

📺 https://t.co/BtWBaRnhB5 #WGPDarts | R1 pic.twitter.com/17Tp1uXUAo
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 8, 2024

“There’s not many players that will beat Michael van Gerwen 6-0 but I won’t get carried away,” said Gurney. “I’m playing well and I have been for the last couple of months.

“I have been beating players on the stage that I haven’t beaten for a couple of years – Dave Chisnall, Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price and now Michael, so that gives me a bit more belief.”

Cullen claimed a terrific comeback win against an in-form Chris Dobey, who had drawn first blood with a magnificent 160 checkout to take the opening set.

The Rockstar bounced back and finished the job with a fine 110 checkout as Dobey struggled on his doubling.

World number two Smith also bowed out at the first hurdle in the East Midlands, after squandering two match darts in a dramatic last-leg shoot-out against 2016 runner-up Gary Anderson.

Smith brushed Anderson aside in their opening round clash at July’s World Matchplay, but the Scottish icon made amends, despite relinquishing the opening set.

“I’ve probably played better this year than I have at any point in the last decade,” insisted Anderson, who has a higher seasonal average than any other player on the PDC ProTour.

“Even when I won the World Championship, I probably wasn’t as good as I have been this year.

“Everything I look at I’m hitting, and it’s going well, but I’m under no pressure whatsoever.”

Former champions James Wade and Gerwyn Price joined Anderson in advancing to the last 16, after coming through deciding-set ties against Peter Wright and Danny Noppert earlier in the night.

Two-time winner Wade fought back from a set down to defeat 2018 runner-up Wright, winning six of the last seven legs to make a winning start on his 20th consecutive World Grand Prix appearance.

“I’m genuinely enjoying the game again,” reflected Wade, who lifted the double-start crown in 2007 and 2010.

“I am very happy to get through there. I felt it shouldn’t have gone to a third set, but fair play to Peter, he’s one of the greatest dart players that has ever walked the planet.”

Price came through a gruelling encounter against 2021 semi-finalist Noppert to begin his bid for a second double-start success, reeling off three straight legs to triumph in a dramatic decisive set.

The Welshman won five of the opening six legs to move to the brink of victory, and although Noppert replied with 126 and 84 finishes on the bull to level, Price battled back from the brink to prevail.

Elsewhere, Dimitri Van den Bergh won through a high-quality encounter against Luke Woodhouse to return to winning ways on the big stage, averaging 97 and landing five 180s in the process.

Following a blistering start from Woodhouse, Van den Bergh averaged 104 in set two to restore parity, before kicking off the deciding set with a fabulous 132 checkout on his way to victory.

The Belgian will now play sixth seed Dave Chisnall for a place in the quarter-finals, after the two-time runner-up completed a six-leg whitewash of Cameron Menzies in the evening’s opener.

Van den Bergh’s compatriot Mike De Decker also celebrated first round success on Tuesday evening, condemning Damon Heta to a fourth consecutive opening round exit at the World Grand Prix.

De Decker – who pinned 14 of his 18 attempts at a starting double – produced 150 and 116 finishes to snatch the opening set, before surviving a match dart at double eight in a dramatic final stanza.

World Grand Prix: Draw bracket and round-by-round results

SECOND ROUND

(1) Luke Humphries v Ricardo Pietreczko
(8) Jonny Clayton v Ross Smith
(4) Rob Cross v Martin Schindler
(5) Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Joyce
Gary Anderson v Mike De Decker
(7) Gerwyn Price v James Wade
Daryl Gurney v Joe Cullen
(6) Dave Chisnall v Dimitri Van den Bergh

FIRST ROUND

(1) Luke Humphries 2-1 Stephen Bunting
Raymond van Barneveld 1-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
(8) Jonny Clayton 2-0 Ritchie Edhouse
Gian van Veen 0-2 Ross Smith
(4) Rob Cross 2-1 Luke Littler
Brendan Dolan 0-2 Martin Schindler
(5) Nathan Aspinall 2-1 Ryan Searle
Josh Rock 0-2 Ryan Joyce
(2) Michael Smith 1-2 Gary Anderson
Mike De Decker 2-1 Damon Heta
(7) Gerwyn Price 2-1 Danny Noppert
Peter Wright 1-2 James Wade
(3) Michael van Gerwen 0-2 Daryl Gurney
Chris Dobey 1-2 Joe Cullen
(6) Dave Chisnall 2-0 Cameron Menzies
Luke Woodhouse 1-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh

World Grand Prix: Remaining schedule

Wednesday October 9 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of five sets)

Jonny Clayton v Ross Smith
Rob Cross v Martin Schindler
Luke Humphries v Ricardo Pietreczko
Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Joyce

Thursday October 10 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of five sets)

Gary Anderson v Mike De Decker
Gerwyn Price v James Wade
Daryl Gurney v Joe Cullen
Dave Chisnall v Dimitri Van den Bergh

Friday October 11 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-Finals (Best of five sets)

Four Matches

Saturday October 12 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Semi-Finals (Best of seven sets)

Two Matches

Sunday October 13 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Final (Best of nine sets)

Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

What TV channel is the World Grand Prix on?

The BoyleSports World Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).