Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Van Gerwen out – who will follow?
Darts World Cup suffers the corona shock
In the crucial phase of the Darts World Cup, top star Michael van Gerwen is not stopped by an opponent, but by Corona. The pandemic is playing an increasingly important role in the Ally Pally party hall in London – and could make the final week a huge challenge.
Long-time world number one Michael van Gerwen tested positive for the corona virus at the Darts World Cup in London and has to tick off his fourth title early. The 32-year-old Dutchman was eliminated early from the most important and highly endowed tournament in the world due to his positive results, as the PDC World Federation announced in the evening – a few hours before its game. Van Gerwen’s opponent Chris Dobey from England now receives a bye for the match in the third round and moves into the round of 16 without a fight.
The day before, van Gerwen’s compatriot Vincent van der Voort had tested positive for the virus. He was also eliminated without a fight. The three-time title holder Van Gerwen was a major tournament favorite alongside defending champion Gerwyn Price (Wales) and Peter Wright from Scotland. On Monday, the Englishman James Wade benefited from van der Voort’s failure and made it into the round of the last 16. In addition, Raymond van Barneveld tested positive shortly after leaving.
Full hall with 3G
For the PDC, the final week in the Alexandra Palace could now be a very complicated challenge. There are no more successors in this phase of the tournament, instead more and more games could be canceled in further corona cases and the value of the World Cup could be seriously questioned. Before the tournament, the Spaniard Juan Rodriguez was already out due to the pandemic. “Mighty Mike”, as van Gerwen is called, is now the first really big name.
Defending champion Gerwyn Price reacted immediately. “The tournament is devalued. I prefer to play against the best to be the best. Sad that some players are eliminated because of Covid,” wrote the world number one on Instagram.
The corona shock will raise further questions. Because not only the situation with the players is tricky, but also the backdrop in north London. So far, full capacity utilization under 3G rules (vaccinated, convalescent and negative tested) is permitted in the “Ally Pally”. Distance and masks often only play a minor role in an exuberant mood and excessive beer consumption. Since van Gerwen cannot compete in the evening, only two instead of the planned three games will take place.