Michael van Gerwen must win another World Championship title, says Wayne Mardle
'He puts too much pressure on himself,' says John Part
Sunday 9 October 2016 12:32, UK
After another blizzard of blistering darts from world No 1 Michael van Gerwen, the Dutchman will be desperate to add another World Championship title to his trophy cabinet, says Wayne Mardle.
The world No 1 scooped his 21st tournament win of the year with an incredible 5-2 triumph over Gary Anderson in Saturday's final.
A stunning 160 finish, his second ton-plus finish of the game, followed seven 180s and moved his average to 100.29, the highest in a World Grand Prix final to surpass Phil Taylor's 100.17 in the 2002 decider to complete his hat-trick on The Emerald Isle.
And Mardle says it would be a "travesty" if 'Mighty Mike' failed to add to his 2014 title.
"I think there's a real funny thing going on I've got to say," admitted the Sky Sports darts expert. "For all the things he's winning, he's somehow got to add to his world title tally.
"There's no point in his retiring in 10, 15 or 20 years whatever it is and have one world title in the bank. That would be an absolute travesty. He's head and shoulders above everyone else barring Gary Anderson. Phil Taylor is just below Gary and no offence to the rest and I couldn't care less if I upset them or not, they're nowhere near them three.
"Adrian Lewis and James Wade can't compete with these two and Phil Taylor is better than them.
"For Michael, this is something he loves doing and is just something that's on the road to the world's. He's going to be hard to beat, but he is beatable."
There's no point in his retiring in 10, 15 or 20 years whatever it is and have one world title in the bank. That would be an absolute travesty.
Former three-time world champion John Part feels Van Gerwen is desperate to win again at Alexandra Palace but says he puts too much pressure on himself.
"That's the one he wants to win the most, so it's the pressure he's put on himself and it's also the one everyone else wants to win the most too. There's a combination of factors," said Part. "I think he will win more titles but he needs to loosen up a bit more and stop trying so hard. He knows he's the best player in the world."
Mardle was impressed with the 27-year-old's display at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin as he followed up his 2012 and 2014 triumphs with one of the greatest performances in the double-start event's history.
"The first five sets, Michael averaged over 100 in each of those five sets and no matter what Gary was trying to do or trying to achieve, Michael was keeping him down and not letting him breath," he said.
"You continue to put someone under pressure then eventually they will either crack and lose or they fight back and you think 'hold on, what's going on' and that's what happened for about a set where Gary got one back and made it 4-2.
"The turning point for me was the last leg of the fifth set. It could have gone 3-2, but it didn't and it went 4-1. For me, that was kind of the game done and dusted even though Gary won a set after that.
"Gary wasn't playing well enough and Michael wasn't playing bad enough to come back to 4-4. It was a great performance by Michael van Gerwen. It was something like we've never seen before for the first five sets."
