Michael van Gerwen says the ‘hunger won’t stop’ as he looks to clean up Down Under with World Grand Prix looming | Darts News

MVG has enjoyed a terrific 2022 so far, following up his sixth Premier League success with a third World Matchplay crown in July; he has also claimed two Players Championship wins and a hat-trick of European Tour titles; he has eyes on a sixth World Grand Prix title in October

Michael van Gerwen hopes to keep his confidence going as he kicked off this year’s World Series roadshow Down Under with victory in Townsville

Michael van Gerwen says the “hunger won’t stop” as the Dutchman looks to continue his sensational form Down Under in preparation for October’s World Grand Prix in Leicester.

Van Gerwen kicked off this year’s World Series roadshow with victory in Townsville, defeating world No 1 Gerwyn Price in a repeat of last month’s World Matchplay final.

Price punished a sluggish start from Van Gerwen to establish a 4-1 lead in Saturday’s showpiece, only for the three-time world champion to win seven of the next eight legs and scoop the £20,000 top prize.

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Watch the top checkouts from the World Matchplay final in Blackpool

“I feel amazing,” said Van Gerwen, who averaged 99.87, hit five 180s and landed two ton-plus finishes in his comeback win over the Welshman.

“I think I did well, especially in the last few legs of the final, when I had to play really well.

“Gerwyn is a fantastic player, so to beat him in a final like this feels good.

“I still felt a little bit flat at the beginning of the day, but the more I played, my absolute will to win was there.

“That is really important, especially when you are up against top players like Joe Cullen and Gerwyn Price.”

“I said before the trip that I wanted to win minimum one of three World Series [titles] and after winning the first one, the hunger won’t stop. I’m looking forward to the next one”

Michael van Gerwen

Despite undergoing surgery in a bid to resolve the carpal tunnel syndrome he has been suffering with in his right arm, Van Gerwen has returned to somewhere close to his dominant best.

He sealed a sixth Premier League success and then picked up his third World Matchplay crown in July.

The 33-year-old will be aiming to add to his five World Grand Prix titles when this year’s tournament heads to Leicester’s Morningside Arena this October – live on Sky Sports.

“I’m not doing too badly lately, so I need to keep that confidence going,” added the world No 3.

“I believe in my own game. Everything is going well at the moment, and I’m starting to win those 50/50 legs and games again. I feel good at the moment, but you have to keep doing it.”

Van Gerwen’s victory in Queensland was his 17th World Series of Darts triumph, more than double the tally boasted by Phil Taylor, who is second on the all-time list with eight titles.

The Dutch star will bid to maintain his winning run at this week’s New South Wales Darts Masters, before he defends his New Zealand Darts Masters crown in Hamilton from August 26-27.

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Michael van Gerwen edged out Joe Cullen in a dramatic final to claim his sixth Premier League title in Berlin

“I’ve got a great record in World Series tournaments, but I’m not finished yet,” said Van Gerwen, who will be the second seed in Wollongong this weekend.

“This is the start of this year’s tour and there is a lot more to come, but you need to conserve your energy and make sure you do the right things at the right moments.

“I said before the trip that I wanted to win minimum one of three World Series [titles] and after winning the first one, the hunger won’t stop. I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. The 25th staging of the World Grand Prix ‘Double in, Double out’ set format is coming to Sky Sports from October 2-8 in Leicester.