Michael van Gerwen says there is “room for fireworks” when he takes on Gary Anderson in the fourth round of the World Darts Championship, the most exciting match to date, on Tuesday night.
Van Gerwen and Andersson are the two most successful players in terms of wins since the World Championship moved to Alexandra Palace in 2008.
The pair have won five world titles together (Andersson has two, van Gerwen has three), but this will be the first time since 2018 that they will meet in darts’ biggest tournament.
On paper, it should be a close fight, given Anderson’s performances in recent wins over Connor Scutt and Jermaine Wattimena, and Van Gerwen, who is showing glimpses of vintage MVG.
“Gary has great darts so I’m really looking forward to that match,” said Van Gerwen, who has only missed the quarter-finals once in the past nine years.
“Everyone says, ‘The old Gary is back.’ He’s averaging 102, 103 and I’m averaging about 99, 100 and doing well. That’s a good sign for me.”
“I’m really looking forward to playing against him because when you play against Gary, there’s always room for fireworks. At least, most of the time, we always play each other well and I’m looking forward to that.”
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Wayne Mardle beats Michael van Gerwen’s 4-1 win over Arno Melk and sets up for a high-profile fourth-round clash with Gary Anderson
Van Gerwen led 50-22 against Anderson and won their most recent meeting in the group stages of a Grand Slam.
The 36-year-old said he would “need to step up a little bit” to beat Anderson, whom he described as a “phenomenal fighter”.
“The first time I played against Gary Anderson was over 20 years ago. We both know exactly what we have to do to beat each other,” Van Gerwen said.
“There were a lot of great fights. I hope to have another great fight in two days. If I can no longer enjoy the fights, that’s the day I retire!”
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Highlights of World Darts Championship round 3 match, final set drama between Gary Anderson and Jermaine Wattimena
Anderson: Van Gerwen knows what he’s getting.
Anderson and Luke Littler are the only players to average more than 100 points twice at this year’s World Championships.
Despite having struggled in television events over the past four years, the two-time world champion is confident he can still compete at the highest level.
“Michael knows what he’s going to bring to me, it’s just a matter of who shows up,” he said.
“People will talk about how MVG and Peter Wright aren’t that good. They can still play darts. MVG made it to the final of the World Championship last year.”
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Gary Anderson nearly hits a nine-darter in seventh set tiebreak against Jermaine Wattimena, missing double 12
Asked when he thought he could win a third world title, Anderson added: “I don’t care. Let the young guys do it! I’m just here to cause headaches.”
“I like playing them. I used to be a donkey and only wanted to play guys like Phil Taylor, Ronnie Baxter and Kevin Painter. Now I’m playing Luke Littler.”
“I’m at a point now where if I win well, I can go home if I lose, so it’s a win-win situation no matter what.”
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Gary Anderson scored two impressive 100-plus finishes against Jermaine Wattimena in the fourth set, helping him take a 3-1 lead.
Mardle: I don’t know what will happen with Van Gerwen vs. Anderson.
Wayne Mardle of Sky Sports Darts:
“I’m scared to think how great it’s going to be. I don’t want to overstate it to say, ‘It’s going to be great.’
“I hope I can just flow and not think about the day they played in the final or the last 16.
“Times have changed. Michael van Gerwen is number three in the world but hasn’t won since 2019 and Anderson hasn’t won since 2016.
“The way Anderson played (against Watimena), he was doing the ultimate training to be able to withstand it. I wouldn’t be surprised by any outcome in the match against Michael. He’ll get questions from Gary, but we don’t know what will happen. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match live and exclusively on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel (Sky channel 407) until January 3rd. Stream darts and other top sports now.
