Van Gerwen won the World Series of Darts but can he beat Anderson to the World Championship?
Last month, Glasgow was fortunate enough to host the World Series of Darts Finals. After five previous events, the showpiece event took place at the end of November as 24 hopefuls took to the stage to compete in the inaugural year of the competition. Phil Taylor headed into the event as the leading contender, however it was another famous name who lifted yet another major title.
Michael van Gerwen proved too strong for Scotland favourite Peter Wright in the final of the series and the Dutchman will be well backed in the upcoming PDC World Championship later this month. In fact, Van Gerwen is currently 11/10 with Coral to win the world title but defending champion and Scotsman Gary Anderson will be quietly confident of his chances once again.
In the 2015 final, Anderson held his nerve to defeat Phil Taylor after defeating Van Gerwen at the semi-final stage. While Anderson has always shown plenty of promise, the “Flying Scotsman” had previously failed to prove his worth on the big stage. However, that all changed in 2015 as he won both the world title and Premier League darts competition to firmly establish himself as one of the best players on the planet.
On his day, the Scot is a phenomenal talent. Nevertheless, Van Gerwen is a class above the rest of the field and will win the tournament if he performs at his very best. The Dutchman has always shown plenty of quality but has become incredibly consistent throughout the past two or three years. For all of the latest news on Van Gerwen, or past results in previous events, Coral can keep you updated. The number one ranked player in the world will fancy his chances of securing a second World Championship crown.
From a Scottish perspective, it would be brilliant to see either Anderson or Wright win the tournament. Anderson’s victory boosted Scotland’s position in the world of darts and they now rank alongside England and the Netherlands as the leading nations in the sport. It will take something special to defeat Van Gerwen but the Scottish supporters who travel down to the Alexandra Palace for the tournament will be sure to give their compatriots as much support as possible.