Michael van Gerwen also failed to win a tournament on the second Premier League night. The Dutchman went down in Cardiff in the semi-finals against Gerwyn Price: 5-6.
Van Gerwen easily beat the Belgian Dimitri Van den Bergh in the quarterfinals. A round later he was no match for Price, even though his average per three arrows was much higher (110.75 points to 96.88 points). The Welshman already broke the three-time world champion in the first leg.
Price held on to his lead and was allowed to throw for the game, but he messed up that leg and then saw Van Gerwen come back to 5-5. In the decisive leg, two game arrows were not spent on the Dutchman, after which Price struck.
For example, Van Gerwen has not yet been able to win a tournament in the Premier League. Last week in the Northern Irish capital Belfast, the number three in the world lost in the final to Englishman Chris Dobey: 5-6.
“I’m disappointed in myself,” Van Gerwen said afterwards Viaplay. “If anyone deserved to win, it was me. This was unnecessary. I played well and missed so many opportunities. Because of my ignorance I let him in the game. That should not happen.”
Price wins hometown tournament
Price took the tournament victory later in the evening in his hometown. The Welshman was 6-3 too strong for Nathan Aspinall in the final. It was Price’s first tournament win since November last year, when he was the best in Barnsley.
On his way to the final, Aspinall had surprisingly beaten newly crowned world champion Michael Smith. The Englishman, who beat Van Gerwen 7-4 in the World Cup final, went down 6-4 against his compatriot.
The Premier League has had a different set-up since last year. Previously, a ranking was used, now a tournament is organized per host city. On April 20, the Premier League will settle in Rotterdam Ahoy. Van Gerwen is the only Dutch participant in the invitational tournament.
