- Dutchman beats Keane Barry 3-0 in second round
- James Wade suffers shock 3-2 defeat by Matt Campbell
It was, in the words of Michael van Gerwen, no better than “OK”. And of course when you are the three-time world title winner and one of the greats of the sport you pitch your standards higher than most. Even so there was a vaguely stirring quality to this second-round demolition of Keane Barry, a 3-0 victory secured with just two legs dropped.
It’s hard to put your finger on what exactly. The roars and the fist-pumps were a little more bullish than usual, the gaze a little more focused. There was a sublime 167 checkout that was basically an act of pure will, eliciting an explosion of noise from the Ally Pally crowd and completely reversing the course of a set that the Irishman was threatening to nick.
Written by Jonathan Liew at Alexandra Palace
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/dec/19/michael-van-gerwen-fights-off-pressure-to-end-keane-barrys-challenge under the title “PDC world darts: Van Gerwen makes strong start but Wade falls at first hurdle”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
