Michael Van Gerwen is in trouble after storming into the final of the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship by beating Chris Dobey in their semi-final clash at the Alexandra Palace
Michael van Gerwen could win a £500,000 jackpot if he defeats Luke Littler in the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship final – but may have to pay a hefty fine.
Sailing into his seventh final, MVG unleashed a 6-1 thrashing on an overwhelmed Chris Dobey, breezing through to Friday’s final against the teen sensation in just 49 minutes. Van Gerwen burst out of the gates, clearly a man on a mission to snap up his fourth title after a six-year hiatus.
With only darts legends Phil Taylor (16) and fellow countryman Raymond van Barneveld (five) ahead of him in world title counts, it’s no shocker that the three-time champion let slip a few choice words in his post-match chat on Sky Sports.
He said: “We are not even close to winning (a fourth title) yet. The target is still far away – I’m only in the final but I’ve won f*** all yet, so I need to make sure I do it in the final. This is my passion, this is my life, and I really enjoyed it tonight.”He now likely faces a fine from the Darts Regulation Authority for his colourful language, as he looks to secure the Sid Waddell Trophy once more at Alexandra Palace, reports the Mirror.
Since his last world title triumph six years ago, Van Gerwen has found a myriad of ways to exit Ally Pally with a sense of regret. Five years back, he was soundly defeated by Peter Wright in the final, which was followed by a shocking 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Dave Chisnall during lockdown after a hasty return from Holland to beat the sealing of European borders at Christmas.He then had to pull out of the tournament after testing positive for Covid – while others who attended a fateful Christmas meal with Dutch were given the all-clear. In 2023, Michael Smith’s flawless leg in the final added sparkle to Bully Boy’s first-ever world title, and a year ago MVG’s blistering form mysteriously fizzled out in a quarter-final loss to Scott Williams, with a tepid 93.41 average that was akin to Les Dawson playing Mozart’s moonlight sonata on the piano.However, any ‘baggage’ from recent disappointments at Ally Pally wasn’t going to bog down Van Gerwen. Out of 75 previous semi-finals in PDC majors, he had emerged victorious in 59, and his impressive haul of 157 titles (on stage and floor) dwarfed Dobey’s six.
The chasm in big-match experience soon became evident. Dobey has come a long way since his days as a £6.70-an-hour motorway labourer setting up cones for lane closures and contraflows, and his 5-3 victory over Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals signalled his intent to shift gears into the fast lane.However, when he squandered three darts to clinch the second set and give Van Gerwen a run for his money, he missed them all. When MVG, thumping his chest and grimacing like the intimidating gargoyle of yesteryears, stepped up to take a 2-0 lead, the outcome was not just clear – it seemed to be written in smoke trails across the Muswell Hill skyline.A jolt to the Dutchman’s rhythm came when the Geordie underdog whipped out his fishing rod, cast his line and snagged the ‘big fish’ 170 checkout, momentarily giving Dobey a leg up in the match. But if you offer Van Gerwen an opportunity to show his mettle, he’ll flash you a full mouth of barbed wire braces after 18 gruelling months of jaw surgery, and he quickly managed to retaliate.As Dobey, aged 34, lost his concentration and his dream of a £500,000 windfall in the final began to crumble, the green machine was merciless, unyielding and pitiless. Van Gerwen’s scoring wasn’t invincible by any means, but Dobey could only muster pop-gun pellets when what he really needed was a 44 Magnum.