Lenny Boyle
Mighty Mike Wins Grand Prix
14/10/2012
Michael van Gerwen won his first major on Sunday night at the Citywest hotel in Dublin. He conquered Mervyn King in the first to six sets battle.
The King stormed to a 4-1 lead over the Dutchman. He came out of the blocks firing, dominating the early going of the contest.
The match looked done and dusted, but Mighty Mike had other ideas. He hit the kind of purple patch that only he can deliver. Winning seven legs on the spin and hitting a thrilling streak that the King had no answer for. Mighty Mike won the match 6-4.
King was far from happy with the Dublin crowd. He was wearing his accustomed earplugs, but maybe his pair for the final were faulty, because the raucous Irish crowd put him off, or so he claims, in ways they didn’t bother him in his semi-final against home favourite Brendan Dolan.
King was also perturbed, to say the least, about van Gerwen’s enthusiastic celebrating. And he shot the Dutchman a glare when he forgot it was his leg to start.
But van Gerwen was unaffected by the disdain, and when he started flowing; it truly was a sight to behold.
He claims a £100,000 prize for winning the 2012 World Grand Prix, and is therefore guaranteed a spot in November’s Grand Slam of Darts from Wolverhampton. And he shoots up to number 8 in the world. It also does his claims for a Premier League spot no harm.
Sky would be desperate to give such a popular and exciting player a berth in the highly sought after event.
The Grand Prix was the third recent title, after the UK Open in 2012 lifted by Robert Thornton, the European Championship by Simon Whitlock; not won by Phil Taylor.
We truly have entered a new era where any of the elite players are capable of winning the big trophies.
And Michael van Gerwen, with his astonishing talent; could be the poster boy for that new era.
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