Michael van Gerwen ended a nearly three-year televised title drought, defeating Luke Littler 11-7 in the World Series of Darts final in Amsterdam on Sunday.
The victory marks Van gerwen’s sixth World Series of Darts title and represents a significant return to form for the Dutch darts superstar, who last secured a televised championship in 2023. The win in front of a home crowd is expected to reignite his challenge for major PDC titles and potentially shift the landscape of professional darts, were Littler’s recent surge had captivated fans.
“We all know what difficulties I’ve had in the last few months, but to do it in front of my home crowd means a lot to me, it’s amazing,” Van Gerwen told ITV Sport.”I’ve never been away, but I’ve had to dig really deep to do this. I love what I do. I hope this is the beginning of a lot more.”
Van Gerwen established an early lead,registering three 180s within the first five legs to take a 3-2 advantage. Littler responded immediately after the break, leveling the score, but Van Gerwen than won three consecutive legs to regain control.
A pivotal moment arrived when Littler failed to convert darts for a 7-7 tie,allowing Van Gerwen to claim the leg and subsequently extend his lead to 9-6. The 36-year-old Van Gerwen sealed the victory with a 130 checkout, finishing the match with an impressive average of 98.37.
Prior to the final, Van Gerwen defeated Josh Rock 11-6 in the semi-finals. Littler, simultaneously occurring, staged a dramatic comeback, overcoming a 9-5 deficit to beat Gerwyn Price 11-10 and reach the final.
