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German Darts Grand Prix: Michael van Gerwen wins again but Rob Cross proves he's a star in the making
Michael van Gerwen won the inaugural German Darts Grand Prix but runner-up Rob Cross emphatically underlined his potential to be a future star of the game.
The world number one averaged 111 for the second time this weekend during his 6-3 victory over Cross in Mannheim which gives him a second successive title - and 12th of the season - since returning to the oche after the birth of his first child Zoe in August having also won the Dutch Darts Masters last Sunday.
He will now target glory at next weekend's prestigious Champions League of Darts, where he is Sky Bet's 4/5 favourite to come out on top in a high-class field which includes Gary Anderson (9/2), Peter Wright (6/1) and defending champion Phil Taylor (5/1), who of course thrashed MVG 16-6 at the World Matchplay this summer.
Including Saturday's second-round nine-minute 6-0 whitewash of Richard North, MVG only dropped three legs across his four games en route to the final, thrashing Gerwyn Price 6-2, Jelle Klaasen 6-1 and Simon Whitlock 6-0 in his usual dominant fashion.
There he met the ever-improving Cross, who has enjoyed a superb debut season as a professional on the PDC tour with two Players Championship titles back in March and May, but this was the 26-year-old Englishman's maiden final on the European Tour stage.
And he got there in quite some style too, averaging over 100 in every match (unlike MVG who failed to manage that against Price), with his highest being 109.1 in a stunning 6-2 third-round victory over third favourite Mensur Suljovic.
He followed this up with a 6-2 destruction of Ian White thanks to a 105 average and two 100+ checkouts including a 130, and a 6-3 semi-final win over Benito van de Pas in which he nailed six of his nine attempts at doubles.
Indeed, it was his clinical finishing over the weekend which was equally as impressive as his consistently high scoring, boasting checkout percentages of 75%, 50%, 46.15% and 66.67% while also nailing six 100+ finishes.
His 15 maximums was also one more than MVG managed until this point, albeit playing more legs in total.
The former electrician more than held his own in the final, which was going with throw until 3-3 when the formidable Dutchman took out 76 to achieve the first break before a 101 checkout moved him to within one leg of the trophy.
Cross, whose average was 'only' 93.38 on this occasion, missed three darts at a double to keep the match going and MVG punished him with a 110 checkout - his third 100+ finish of the match having also taken out 127 in the second leg - as he claimed the £25,000 top prize at the Maimarkhalle.
He told the PDC: "When you play well and win it's a fantastic feeling. I think I deserved the win and I'm really happy. I started off with a 111 average and finished with a 111 average so that's not too bad! Rob was the player who gave me the biggest game and it was difficult to break his throw, but my scoring power was there and my will to win was there, and that makes me the champion today.
"I'm sure I'm going to have more good clashes against Rob, he's broken through this year and he's doing really well. He's going to be one of the big superstars."
Cross said: "I played well this week and I really enjoyed it. I lost my way a bit in the last four legs, but I can't take anything away from Michael. That's why he's there and the experience he's got is vast, but it won't be long before I catch him up there. I'm going to be there."
By Chris Hammer
Scroll down for the full tournament results
German Darts Grand Prix: Full tournament results
Friday September 8
FIRST ROUND
Afternoon Session
Paul Rowley 6-3 Tony Martinez
Jamie Caven 6-4 Max Hopp
Jan Dekker 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Michael Plooy 4-6 Jermaine Wattimena
Mick Todd 3-6 Richard North
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Bernd Roith
Darren Webster 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Zoran Lerchbacher
Evening Session
Michael Hurtz 1-6 Daniel Larsson
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Andy Boulton
James Richardson 2-6 Keegan Brown
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Robert Owen
Jamie Bain 6-4 Steve Beaton
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-6 Kyle Anderson
Martin Schindler 3-6 Mick McGowan
Click here for day one review
Saturday September 9
SECOND ROUND
Afternoon Session
Ian White 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Joe Cullen 6-3 Paul Rowley
Benito van de Pas 6-2 Jamie Caven
Rob Cross 6-3 Jan Dekker
Dave Chisnall 2-6 Nathan Aspinall
Mervyn King 5-6 Vincent van der Voort
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Jamie Bain
Evening Session
Alan Norris 3-6 Darren Webster
Kim Huybrechts 4-6 Kyle Anderson
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Mick McGowan
Peter Wright 2-6 Ronny Huybrechts
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Richard North
Daryl Gurney 6-1 Keegan Brown
Michael Smith 6-5 Jamie Lewis
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Daniel Larsson
Click here for day two review
Sunday September 10
Afternoon Session
Third Round
Mensur Suljovic 2-6 Rob Cross
Daryl Gurney 5-6 Ian White
Darren Webster 2-6 Benito van de Pas
Ronny Huybrechts 0-6 Vincent van der Voort
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Michael Smith 6-1 Joe Cullen
Kyle Anderson 1-6 Jelle Klaasen
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Evening Session (6pm-10pm BST)
Quarter-Finals
Rob Cross 6-2 Ian White
Benito van de Pas 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Michael Smith
Jelle Klaasen 1-6 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-Finals
Rob Cross 6-3 Benito van de Pas
Simon Whitlock 0-6 Michael van Gerwen
Final
Rob Cross 3-6 Michael van Gerwen