Sensational van Gerwen wins the inaugural Poland Darts Masters.

Michael van Gerwen delivered a series of dominating performances to win the inaugural Superbet Poland Darts Masters championship over Dimitri Van den Bergh in Warsaw on Saturday.

Van Gerwen won the US Darts Masters in New York last month, and he added a World Series championship to his collection with a 113.22 average against Van den Bergh – the best average ever generated in a World Series of Darts final.

The Dutchman was playing with discomfort after recent dental surgery, but a series of outstanding performances propelled him to his third televised title of 2023.

Van Gerwen was brutal all day in Warsaw, surrendering only five legs in decisive victories over Luke Humphries and Michael Smith earlier in the evening.

The 34-year-old averaged over 110 to beat Humphries in the last eight, and a 104 average was enough to beat world number one Smith in the semi-finals.

Van den Bergh opened the final with a magnificent 11-darter, but Van Gerwen quickly took control, rattling off three successive legs in 13, 13 and 12 darts to take 3-1 ahead.

The Belgian halted Van Gerwen’s assault in leg five, but the Dutchman quickly resumed normal service, firing legs of 11, 16, 11, and 12 darts to go to 7-2.

Van den Bergh, who averaged 101, produced back-to-back 180s on route to a third leg, but it was only a postponement, as Van Gerwen clinched the deal with a clinical 86 checkout.

“I’ve just come back from surgery and I’ve had a really tough couple of weeks,” reflected Van Gerwen, who will be aiming to defend his Betfred World Matchplay crown in Blackpool next week.

 

“You have to stand up and you have to battle. I always say if I am competing in something, I want to win it, and this feels amazing.

“Dimitri played well in the final, but this weekend I think I was unstoppable.

“Fair play to all the Polish darts fans. Honestly, I didn’t expect this. The atmosphere blew me away, and I hope I can come back here next year.”

Van den Bergh, who turned 29 on Saturday, also excelled in Warsaw, defeating Krzysztof Ratajski and Gerwyn Price to reach his fifth World Series final.

The former World Matchplay champion averaged 105 to overcome Karel Sedlacek in the first round on Friday, and he ended home aspirations with a quarter-final triumph over Poland’s number one Ratajski.

In the final four, the Belgian won a last-leg thriller against top seed Price, striking a pair of 12-dart breaks in the latter stages to thwart Wales’ World Cup victory.

“Michael was so good once again, but he knows I’m chasing him,” quipped the two-time World Youth Champion.

“I’m going to beat him one time. I believe I can, but fair play to Michael, he was fantastic.

“You’re playing against the best players in the world. What an atmosphere, what a crowd. It was amazing, and I had a beautiful birthday.”

Earlier in the night, Price won through a high-quality encounter against Nathan Aspinall, averaging 99 to run out a 6-3 winner in a contest which featured four ton-plus finishes.

Meanwhile, World Champion Smith fought back from 3-1 down to defeat Danny Noppert, sealing the deal with a sequence of eight perfect darts to defy a 103 average from the Dutchman.

2023 Superbet Poland Darts Masters

Saturday July 8 (1900 CEST, 1800 BST)

Quarter-Finals

Gerwyn Price 6-3 Nathan Aspinall

Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski

Michael Smith 6-4 Danny Noppert

Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Luke Humphries

 

Semi-Finals

Dimitri Van den Bergh 7-6 Gerwyn Price

Michael van Gerwen 7-3 Michael Smith

 

Final

Michael van Gerwen 8-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh