Dubai: Record three-time Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters champion Michael van Gerwen is looking to reassert his dominance in this week’s event at Dubai Tennis Stadium after Gary Anderson denied him a fourth straight title in last year’s final.
“I’ve always played well over here,” said the world No. 1, recently crowned Premier League champion, who won the first three events in Dubai from 2013 to 2015. “Last year I let Gary Anderson walk away with the trophy, unfortunately I made a few mistakes, but I’m here to try and get it back again.”
Van Gerwen was drawn against his fellow Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld in Wednesday’s quarter-final, while Anderson will play 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor. The other quarters will see James Wade play Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright take on Dave Chisnall.
“I’ve got a tough draw against Raymond but what can I do?” added Van Gerwen. “I just have to play and prepare well and make sure I win.
“I have three of these trophies at home and I hope to add another to the collection,” he said of the ‘Dallah’ Arabic Coffee Pot trophy. “I’ve got lots of nice tea cups and I want more for the rest of the family so I can serve everyone tea.”
Despite being defending champion Anderson said Van Gerwen’s record in the region and recent form meant the Dutchman was still the favourite.
“For three years Mike has been the best player in the world,” said the World No. 2 Scotsman. “He’s just come away from lifting the Premier League and everyone is gunning for him. It was nice to stop him last year but there’s no pressure on me now.”
Of his quarter-final opponent Taylor, who is making his last appearance in Dubai before retiring in January, he added: “Phil beat me the last time we played in the Premier League so it will be a hard game, and he’ll be trying his damnedest because this is his last year.”
And of other threats to his title, he said: “Anyone of them players can win it, the game is getting so hard now. If you lift the title you’re lucky given the standard of players nowadays, so I’m just going to enjoy it.”
Taylor’s best finish in five appearance here was as a losing finalist in 2015, and now the 56-year-old Englishman is hoping to go one better before packing up his flights.
“I’ll have a go,” he said. “If I won it I’d be over the moon, but I’m not worried about it. There’s no pressure on me, if I win it, I win it, if I don’t, I don’t. I’ve won that many titles anyway so it isn’t going to make a difference, it’s just the money that’s a bonus really.”
The Dh640,000 prize fund tournament is the first event in this year’s six-stage Professional Darts Corporation’s (PDC) World Series of Darts and sees the top eight players from the PDC Order of Merit take part. Wednesday’s quarter-finals are contested over the best of 19 legs, before Thursday’s semis and the final are contested over 21 legs.
