Michael van Gerwen triumphed over top seed Dave Chisnall to seize the Players Championship 21 in Wigan, boasting a stellar average of 106.67 in an impressive 8-4 victory to clinch his first ranking title this year at Robin Park Tennis Centre.
Van Gerwen’s path to glory was marked by victories against James Wade with a 6-3 score in the opener, Gian van Veen 6-3 in the quarters, and a solid defeat of Maik Kuivenhoven 7-2 in the semi-finals, while Kuivenhoven himself had earlier bested Luke Littler.
Van Gerwen, however, scaled a comeback from 2-1 down after Chisnall launched with vigour, eventually hitting his stride with six uninterrupted legs, dazzling with a smooth 158 checkout in one of them. Chisnall managed to claw back two legs before Van Gerwen sealed the match with a clean double eight.
Reflecting on his triumph, Van Gerwen expressed relief and determination: “I have underperformed in lots of these (ranking events), so to be back on this tour and actually win one, it feels good.”
He then laid down an eight-word warning to his rivals: “I’m not coming here just to take part.
“I want to win, I want to perform and I want to do the right things for myself.”
He also highlighted his formidable performance under pressure, stating: “My scoring power was there, and every time I had to put Dave under pressure, I was able to do it. I know there’s still a lot more to gain and a lot more to fight for, but for me, the most important thing is I always keep believing in my own ability.”
Littler will be in no mood to stand down, however, after winning two titles in the space of three days and firing his own message to his rivals – Van Gerwen likely included.
“I had to switch on,” Littler said after seeing off Stephen Bunting’s comeback attempt in Wigan. “Towards the end I was getting a bit tired but I was just saying to myself: ‘One last push’. Stephen put everything he could on me but as soon as I settled for the 124 I knew I would stick my double 10.
“I think I played really well, I came here with loads of confidence, it’s probably the first Pro Tour I have actually enjoyed playing apart from the first one (where) I won. But it’s been good today and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
When asked about the challenge of changing his stance depending on how the floor is set up at each venue, but still winning at a canter, Littler had a short but clear warning for his rivals: “It’s just what I do.”
