- Englishman sees off his great rival 7-4 in stunning final
- ‘This feeling will never be topped,’ says first-time champion
From the moment he hit his first 180 as a teenager, Michael Smith believed it was his destiny to become world champion. Twice before he has come desperately close, losing in the biggest game of them all – including to Michael van Gerwen here in 2019 – but not even in Smith’s wildest dreams did he suspect he would finally fulfil his destiny in these circumstances. “This feeling will never be topped,” the newest champion of the world admitted after a moment he may have thought would never arrive.
We hoped this final, the most mouthwatering in years on paper, would deliver. This year’s PDC World Darts Championship has underwhelmed on occasion but Smith and Van Gerwen have been the best two players on the planet throughout the last 12 months, with 16 ranking titles between them. Ignore their pre-tournament world rankings of four and three respectively: this was a meeting of the two finest tungsten technicians.
Written by Aaron Bower at Alexandra Palace
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/03/michael-smith-hits-nine-darter-on-way-past-van-gerwen-to-pdc-world-title under the title “Michael Smith hits nine-darter on way past Van Gerwen to PDC world title”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
