Michael van Gerwen promises much more to come after Auckland victory
"I don't need to prove anything, they know how good I am"
Monday 6 August 2018 15:32, UK
World No 1 Michael van Gerwen insists he has nothing to prove and has warned his rivals that there is much more in the tank following his Auckland Masters triumph.
Van Gerwen failed to reach the final of either the US Masters or the Shanghai Masters before suffering a shock defeat to fellow Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan in the first round of the World Matchplay.
Van Gerwen responded in style at last weekend's New Zealand event, securing his first World Series title of the year with a resounding 11-4 win over Raymond van Barneveld in the final.
"I don't need to prove anything, they know how good I am," said Van Gerwen, who defeated Cody Harris, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright en route to the final.
"I would say 90-95 per cent of the time they [other players] lose to me anyway.
"If I keep my focus on my own game then I can do some phenomenal stuff. It's difficult to do it constantly so I need to make sure I keep myself focused all the time."
The two-time world champion now has an Oceanic hat-trick in his sights as he travels to Melbourne this weekend, followed by a trip to Brisbane the following week, and he believes he can continue improving throughout the remainder of the year.
"I think I didn't play bad but I know there's more in the tank," Van Gerwen added.
"I didn't show everything I can do so I'm a bit disappointed with that, but the win is the only thing that counts.
"I've never won this event before so I'm really delighted to get my hands on a new trophy."
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