ROCK SOLID VAN GERWEN^S GIBRALTAR GLORY
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN continued his incredible start to 2015 with a brilliant 6-3 triumph over Terry Jenkins to win the Gibraltar Darts Trophy title.
The Dutch star picked up a second successive European Tour triumph - following February^s German Darts Championship win - to add to his string of tournament victories so far this year.
The unbeaten Betway Premier League leader at present, van Gerwen has also won The Unibet Masters and the Coral UK Open on television and three UK Open Qualifiers before adding £25,000 with his latest European Tour success to take his unbeaten run in broadcasted games since the World Championship to 27 games.
Van Gerwen opened the day with a third round defeat of Brian Woods, hitting two ten-dart legs and missing double 12 for a nine-darter during his 6-3 victory.
He then averaged 109.92 in a 6-4 quarter-final win over fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen in a high-quality clash which saw the world number one record winning legs of 11, 11, 11, 13, 12 and 16 darts as he moved into the last four.
Welsh ace Jamie Lewis was then defeated 6-1 with a clinical semi-final display, as van Gerwen took out 110 and 101 and averaged 104.47 before he swept aside Jenkins 6-3 in the final with a superb 107.04 average.
Van Gerwen also missed double 12 for a nine-darter for the second time on the day as he came from a leg down to lead 4-1.
Jenkins replied to two 11-darters from van Gerwen with an 11-dart leg of his own before finishing a 13-darter to stay in touch at 5-3, but van Gerwen took out 112 in the next to seal the title.
Jenkins^ run was his best on the PDC European Tour and included a 6-4 win over Gary Anderson in Sunday afternoon^s third round.
He then overcame Mervyn King 6-3 in the quarter-finals and ended James Wade^s defence of the title in Gibraltar with a 6-2 semi-final triumph before having to settle for the £10,000 runner-up prize.
Wade had defeated Premier League rival Kim Huybrechts 6-4 in the quarter-finals to follow up a third round win over Vincent van der Voort as he sought to claim back-to-back wins in Gibraltar.
Welsh youngster Lewis also enjoyed another strong run at the Victoria Stadium, following up his run to the 2013 final by defeating Andy Smith and Gerwyn Price on Sunday to reach the last four.
Price had overcome Simon Whitlock in the third round as he reached his second European Tour quarter-final, while Norfolk youngster Nathan Derry won through to the third round on his European Tour debut before losing out to Klaasen.
The next PDC European Tour event will be the German Darts Masters, which will be held from April 4-6 at the Ballhausforum in Munich. For tickets, visit www.pdc-europe.tv.
PDC European Tour events are streamed live online worldwide through www.LIVEPDC.TV and a series of bookmakers^ websites.
2015 Gibraltar Darts Trophy
Sunday March 22
Afternoon Session
Third Round
Gary Anderson 4-6 Terry Jenkins
Mervyn King 6-1 Justin Pipe
James Wade 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Wayne Jones 4-6 Kim Huybrechts
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Brian Woods
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Nathan Derry
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Simon Whitlock
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Andy Smith
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Mervyn King
James Wade 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Gerwyn Price 5-6 Jamie Lewis
Semi-Finals
Terry Jenkins 6-2 James Wade
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Jamie Lewis
Final
Terry Jenkins 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Final - Leg-by-leg
Terry Jenkins v Michael van Gerwen
0-0 - Michael van Gerwen wins the bull and will throw first.
1-0 - van Gerwen misses tops for a 117 finish, and Jenkins finishes double 19 to break throw immediately with a 14-dart leg.
1-1 - van Gerwen levels with a 14-darter of his own, finishing 55 on tops.
1-2 - MICHAEL VAN GERWEN MISSES DOUBLE 12 FOR A NINE-DARTER! The Dutchman opens with two 180s and lands treble 20 and treble 19 before missing double 12 to compete a perfect leg, but returns to land double six for an 11-darter.
1-3 - van Gerwen opens the fourth leg with a 177 and, though he initially misses three darts at double 16, Jenkins misses two darts at the same bed to level as he allows the Dutchman back to break.
1-4 - van Gerwen kicks off with another maximum - and two further treble 20 on his next visit - and though Jenkins lands a 180 in reply the world number one finishes another 11-darter by taking out 86.
2-4 - Jenkins scores 140, 180 and 130, with van Gerwen landing a 171 only to see his rival finish tops for an 11-darter of his own.
2-5 - Jenkins misses a dart at tops to finish 76 and punish van Gerwen for missed doubles, allowing the Dutchman back in on double nine to move a leg away from the title.
3-5 - van Gerwen misses darts at double 12 and six for the title - for an 81 finish, as Jenkins steps in on tops for a 13-darter to keep his hopes alive.
3-6 - van Gerwen completes a sensational win by finishing 112 on tops.
The Dutch star picked up a second successive European Tour triumph - following February^s German Darts Championship win - to add to his string of tournament victories so far this year.
The unbeaten Betway Premier League leader at present, van Gerwen has also won The Unibet Masters and the Coral UK Open on television and three UK Open Qualifiers before adding £25,000 with his latest European Tour success to take his unbeaten run in broadcasted games since the World Championship to 27 games.
Van Gerwen opened the day with a third round defeat of Brian Woods, hitting two ten-dart legs and missing double 12 for a nine-darter during his 6-3 victory.
He then averaged 109.92 in a 6-4 quarter-final win over fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen in a high-quality clash which saw the world number one record winning legs of 11, 11, 11, 13, 12 and 16 darts as he moved into the last four.
Welsh ace Jamie Lewis was then defeated 6-1 with a clinical semi-final display, as van Gerwen took out 110 and 101 and averaged 104.47 before he swept aside Jenkins 6-3 in the final with a superb 107.04 average.
Van Gerwen also missed double 12 for a nine-darter for the second time on the day as he came from a leg down to lead 4-1.
Jenkins replied to two 11-darters from van Gerwen with an 11-dart leg of his own before finishing a 13-darter to stay in touch at 5-3, but van Gerwen took out 112 in the next to seal the title.
Jenkins^ run was his best on the PDC European Tour and included a 6-4 win over Gary Anderson in Sunday afternoon^s third round.
He then overcame Mervyn King 6-3 in the quarter-finals and ended James Wade^s defence of the title in Gibraltar with a 6-2 semi-final triumph before having to settle for the £10,000 runner-up prize.
Wade had defeated Premier League rival Kim Huybrechts 6-4 in the quarter-finals to follow up a third round win over Vincent van der Voort as he sought to claim back-to-back wins in Gibraltar.
Welsh youngster Lewis also enjoyed another strong run at the Victoria Stadium, following up his run to the 2013 final by defeating Andy Smith and Gerwyn Price on Sunday to reach the last four.
Price had overcome Simon Whitlock in the third round as he reached his second European Tour quarter-final, while Norfolk youngster Nathan Derry won through to the third round on his European Tour debut before losing out to Klaasen.
The next PDC European Tour event will be the German Darts Masters, which will be held from April 4-6 at the Ballhausforum in Munich. For tickets, visit www.pdc-europe.tv.
PDC European Tour events are streamed live online worldwide through www.LIVEPDC.TV and a series of bookmakers^ websites.
2015 Gibraltar Darts Trophy
Sunday March 22
Afternoon Session
Third Round
Gary Anderson 4-6 Terry Jenkins
Mervyn King 6-1 Justin Pipe
James Wade 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Wayne Jones 4-6 Kim Huybrechts
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Brian Woods
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Nathan Derry
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Simon Whitlock
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Andy Smith
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Mervyn King
James Wade 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Gerwyn Price 5-6 Jamie Lewis
Semi-Finals
Terry Jenkins 6-2 James Wade
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Jamie Lewis
Final
Terry Jenkins 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Final - Leg-by-leg
Terry Jenkins v Michael van Gerwen
0-0 - Michael van Gerwen wins the bull and will throw first.
1-0 - van Gerwen misses tops for a 117 finish, and Jenkins finishes double 19 to break throw immediately with a 14-dart leg.
1-1 - van Gerwen levels with a 14-darter of his own, finishing 55 on tops.
1-2 - MICHAEL VAN GERWEN MISSES DOUBLE 12 FOR A NINE-DARTER! The Dutchman opens with two 180s and lands treble 20 and treble 19 before missing double 12 to compete a perfect leg, but returns to land double six for an 11-darter.
1-3 - van Gerwen opens the fourth leg with a 177 and, though he initially misses three darts at double 16, Jenkins misses two darts at the same bed to level as he allows the Dutchman back to break.
1-4 - van Gerwen kicks off with another maximum - and two further treble 20 on his next visit - and though Jenkins lands a 180 in reply the world number one finishes another 11-darter by taking out 86.
2-4 - Jenkins scores 140, 180 and 130, with van Gerwen landing a 171 only to see his rival finish tops for an 11-darter of his own.
2-5 - Jenkins misses a dart at tops to finish 76 and punish van Gerwen for missed doubles, allowing the Dutchman back in on double nine to move a leg away from the title.
3-5 - van Gerwen misses darts at double 12 and six for the title - for an 81 finish, as Jenkins steps in on tops for a 13-darter to keep his hopes alive.
3-6 - van Gerwen completes a sensational win by finishing 112 on tops.