Michael van Gerwen was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the US Darts Masters in New York on Saturday night. The Dutchman lost 6-3 to Welshman Gerwyn Price in his first tournament since his breakup.
Van Gerwen convincingly won his first match against American Leonard Gates on Saturday (6-3), but it went much worse against Price. The three-time world champion threw an average of 93.94 and recorded a finishing percentage of 43 percent.
Luke Humphries eventually won the tournament. The former world champion from England was too strong for his compatriot Nathan Aspinall in the final with 8-6. The US Darts Masters is part of the World Series. It is the fourth World Series tournament of the year.
The event in New York was Van Gerwen’s first tournament since the end of May. After that, the Brabant native decided to temporarily stop playing darts due to a breakup with Daphne Govers, whom he had been married to for more than ten years.
Van Gerwen mainly took time for his children, he told NU.nl before the tournament, among other things. “It was worth a lot to me,” he said. “I’m always working and always away. That’s why I really enjoyed these moments with my children.”