Michael van Gerwen criticized Michael Unterbuchner as ‘inadequate’ following his commanding 6-2 victory at the European Darts Grand Prix. Van Gerwen smoothly advanced to the round-of-16 by defeating Unterbuchner, who had made a light-hearted comment about facing Van Gerwen the day before.
After causing an upset by defeating William O’Connor in the first round, Unterbuchner jokingly remarked, “Michael van Gerwen? Who’s that? No, no, just kidding. I’m looking forward to it.”
The three-time world champion was unimpressed by the remarks and stated after defeating the German, “He didn’t make a joke. He is one of those guys who try to be funny. He has never beaten me and never will. He lacks the skill – even my lower-level performances are enough to defeat him, but it doesn’t matter. Onwards to tomorrow.”
Van Gerwen demonstrated his dominance during the match, with an average score of 91 and a remarkable 102 checkout. His next opponent in the last-16 will be fellow Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena, who triumphed over Kevin Doets in an all-Dutch encounter. Van Gerwen commented, “I had some good legs, although one leg with a double one was a disaster. But who cares? I won the leg, and that’s what matters. The audience is enjoying themselves – that’s the only thing that counts. It’s been a while since I last won here, so hopefully, I can give it a good shot tomorrow.”
Van Gerwen last clinched the European Tour title in 2018 and expressed confidence in his record. Reflecting on his upcoming match against Wattimena, he acknowledged their long-standing rivalry and emphasized the need to perform well against his skilled opponent.
In another surprising turn of events, Niko Springer defeated defending champion Gary Anderson with a remarkable 6-3 victory. Springer, ecstatic after the win, expressed gratitude for the support received from family and friends, as well as the proximity of the event to his home.
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