Michael van Gerwen makes ‘I’ll quit darts tomorrow’ comment as star addresses ‘tough year’ | Other | Sport

Michael van Gerwen has insisted he’ll “quit darts tomorrow” if his shoes dictate how well he plays. The Dutchman survived a scare in his World Darts Championship opener as he overcame Mitsuhiko Tatsunami to book his place in the second round.

Van Gerwen, who was defeated by Luke Littler in the World Championship final a year ago, was the overwhelming favourite to beat Tatsunami at Ally Pally. But he found himself a set and two legs down against the Japanese debutant, who was in inspired form at the oche. However, Van Gerwen eventually pulled through as he ultimately fought back to secure a 3-1 victory.

Following his comeback, Van Gerwen was told that special darts shoes could aid his performances at the oche.

And the three-time world champion explained: “I just wear black shoes. Old shoes. They just have to fit well. I call them work shoes.”

He added: “If my shoes determine how well I’m going to throw, I’ll quit darts tomorrow.”

Van Gerwen has struggled to find his best form during a turbulent year that saw him split from his wife Daphne after more than a decade of marriage. And the 36-year-old explained: “Everyone knows I’ve had a tough year, privately as well.

“You carry that with you, whether you want to or not. You try to get yourself into a calm state, but that’s not always easy. Nothing changes overnight.

“If you look at my performances last year, they were just below par. And privately it wasn’t going well either.

“Then you have to try to put everything aside for a moment and create calm. But I’ve got two kids as well. You want everything to stay as calm as possible. I feel calmer again, yes. But everything takes time. That’s part of it.”

Van Gerwen will take on William O’Connor in his second match at Ally Pally, with that match due to take place on Tuesday.

And discussing his victory over Tatsunami, Mighty Mike added: “If you look at his treble and double percentages, he was playing at world-class level. His earlier matches were already good, but I honestly didn’t expect this. I saw him warming up and didn’t think he would reach this level.

“The most important thing is to win. In the past I’ve often played an average first round and then gone far. You have to keep believing in your own ability. I know what I can do, I know where I stand. I’m going to show that in the next match.”