Michael van Gerwen is aiming for a hat-trick of World Matchplay titles
Friday 21 July 2017 15:02, UK
Michael van Gerwen is readying his challenge for a third successive World Matchplay title.
The world No 1 returns to the Blackpool tournament, live on Sky Sports from July 22-30, having beaten James Wade and Phil Taylor in the 2015 and 2016 finals, respectively.
It's a format and a tournament that I like, a long format and that suits me, so I'm really looking forward to going back.
Live World Matchplay Darts
"It's a fantastic tournament - after the World Championship it's the biggest ranking tournament there is and I've been playing well over there," Van Gerwen said.
"Last year I won against Phil Taylor and I hope I can retain the title this year. It's a format and a tournament that I like, a long format and that suits me, so I'm really looking forward to going back.
"I'll approach it like any other TV tournament. It's a tournament you want to win, one of the biggest ones and the pressure comes anyway. You need a bit of pressure to play well and I hope I can keep doing what I've been doing over the last few months."
Van Gerwen meets Stephen Bunting in the first round on Monday night, with a record-high £500,000 prize money up for grabs throughout the tournament.
The World Matchplay in Blackpool is live on Sky Sports from July 22-30.
