Michael van Gerwen failed to reach the Premier League finals round on Thursday. The three-time world champion had to win against Nathan Aspinall, but he failed. The Brabander lost 2-6 to the Englishman.
The 36-year-old Gerwen had to win no less than three matches in Sheffield to have a chance of a ticket to the finals round. In the first round, things already went wrong for the Dutchman, who had a bad start to his match with Aspinall.
In the packed Utilita Arena, Van Gerwen quickly faced a 2-0 deficit. The Dutchman fought back into the match with a 49 finish, but ‘The Asp’ did not relinquish his lead throughout the match.
Van Gerwen remained stuck at an average of 88.72 per three darts against Aspinall, while the Englishman recorded an average of 98.72. This is the second time that Van Gerwen has missed the finals round.
Van Gerwen did not win a single matchday in the Premier League this season. ‘Mighty Mike’ reached the final twice, but lost both to world champion Luke Littler.