Raymond van Barneveld progressed to the last 16 of the European Darts Matchplay with a 6-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen; Van Barneveld's first-round win had already secured his place at the World Matchplay in Blackpool
Saturday 1 July 2023 22:47, UK
Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld fought back to beat fellow Dutchman Michael van Gerwen and reach the last 16 of the European Darts Matchplay in the German city of Trier.
Van Barneveld, whose first-round victory the previous day was enough for him to book a place at the World Matchplay in Blackpool later this month, trailed his rival twice before storming back to triumph 6-3.
It was the 56-year-old's first victory against Van Gerwen in Trier since 2018 - having twice reversed his retirement from the sport during that time - and he will now take on Ryan Searle in the next round on Sunday.
Van Gerwen, who was forced to pull out of last month's World Cup of Darts after failing to recover from a dental operation, took a 2-0 lead in Trier before Van Barneveld responded with a 17-dart leg.
Although Van Gerwen restored his advantage at 3-1, that was as good as it got for him and Van Barneveld won the next two legs to draw level before edging in front for the first time with a 138 checkout.
He squandered the chance of another 100-plus finish in the next, but Van Gerwen missed the double four times and that gave his opponent the opportunity to capitalise, with an 84 finish clinching victory.
Van Gerwen later tweeted his congratulations, saying: "I didn't play my A-game tonight, but well done Raymond van Barneveld! Now focus on the World Matchplay.
"I'll be working hard to get better results there. Thanks for the support."
