Michael van Gerwen's seven-month wait for a nine-darter is finally over. The three-time world champion pulled off the epic feat in the fifth leg of his third round victory over Ryan Searle at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich. Van Gerwen won the opening two legs before Searle pulled one back, although it only served to fuel the fire inside the Dutchman. He won the next leg to take a 3-1 lead, but Van Gerwen was far from done when it came to reminding the world of his brilliance. He opened his nine-dart leg with two maximums and rounded it out with the 141 checkout as he went the treble 20, treble 19 and double 12 route. Immediately upon hitting double 12, Van Gerwen turned to the crowd with his arms outstretched before he blew a kiss in their direction.
Searle could only applaud and offered a congratulatory fist-bump to his rival as Van Gerwen flexed in front of the crowd. It marked Van Gerwen's first nine-darter in 2025, with his last coming against Martin Lukeman on September 21 last year. Prior to that, Van Gerwen's last nine-darter took place during a clash against Luke Humphries on November 26, 2023. Unfortunately for Searle, his rival never let up as Van Gerwen secured a dominant 6-1 win. The Dutchman rattled off a 104.82 average while Searle averaged 90.13 and managed just a solitary maximum. Van Gerwen was also clinical on the checkouts as he nailed six of his seven attempts.
The 35-year-old's moment of magic in Munich arrived just days after his disappointing display on night 11 of the Premier League in Rotterdam. Van Gerwen was bundled out in the quarter-finals by Stephen Bunting in a 6-5 defeat. It marked the ninth time out of ten Premier League nights this year he had failed to reach the final, with the sole exception being a runners-up finish on night seven in Cardiff. Despite an early exit at his home event coupled with a decline in form over recent years, Van Gerwen confirmed in an interview with HLN.be he had no plans on stepping away from the oche any time soon.
"I'm committed to going full throttle for at least another ten years," Van Gerwen said. "I'm still young, and I know there's plenty left in the tank. I'm better than most players on the Tour - I just need to prove it again, more often." No. 2 seed Van Gerwen will face Ryan Joyce in the quarter-finals after the Newcastle native beat Niels Zonneveld 6-4 in the third round.
In the final, Michael van Gerwen hit a nine-darter on his way to victory in Munich, defeating fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen 8-5. Van Veen, 22, delivered a brilliant display, averaging 110.81, to beat world champion Luke Littler in the semi-final. But he was unable to reach the same heights in the final as Van Gerwen, runner-up to Luke Humphries in last year's tournament, broke early and never trailed before taking the three legs on the spin to seal victory.
This victory marks Van Gerwen's first European Tour title of the year and the 38th of his career. The 35-year-old looked in good form, averaging over 100 in his three games leading up to the final. After beating Searle 6-1, he saw off Ryan Joyce 6-4 in the quarter-finals and claimed a comprehensive 7-2 win over Josh Rock in the semis. Littler was seeking his second Tour win of 2025 but after a 6-3 triumph over Josh Cullen and edging Peter Wright 6-5 to make the last four, he came back from 3-0 down to lead 4-3 before Van Veen took the next four legs to advance.
Michael van Gerwen has admitted to battling personal demons after winning the German Darts Grand Prix. He expressed the significance of the victory, stating, "It definitely means a lot to me. We all know where I'm coming from. I've been battling my own battles lately. The last few weeks I'm playing poorly, I didn't do what I could and I know I've got it in me but you want to show it week after week." He added, "With the pressure on me all the time, sometimes I get annoyed with that but I also put pressure on myself. To win this tournament means the world to me."
Van Gerwen mentioned the confidence the win would provide him, especially as he sits outside the Play-Off spots in the Premier League. "It's probably going to give me the confidence because I'm in a tough position in the Premier League. I've made it tough for myself but everyone who knows me knows I will never give up. I always keep battling, I always keep fighting, that's what you need. Full gas!"
Gian van Veen was unable to land his first European Tour title just two days before he celebrates his 23rd birthday, although the Dutchman performed admirably throughout the weekend in Munich. "I've had a phenomenal three days," insisted Van Veen, who rises to a career-high of world No 23. "Neither of us played our best game in the final. I played well on my own legs, but on Michael's throw I didn't perform, and he was the deserved winner. I'm a bit gutted to lose, but I'm really happy with second place, and hopefully my first European Tour title is coming soon!"
Following a thrilling three days in Munich, the PDC European Tour continues next weekend, as the Premstattner Halle in Graz plays host to the Austrian Darts Open from April 25-27. Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler will clash in Liverpool on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in the Premier League, while Luke Humphries takes on Nathan Aspinall in Stephen Bunting's homecoming.
