Michael van Gerwen's Aura Proves Too Much for Gabriel Clemens in ProTour Title

Gabriel Clemens has written a piece of German darts history by winning his first PDC ranking title at Players Championship 24.

What happened?

On 18 Jun, Clemens defeated Luke Woodhouse 8-6 in the final, sealing the win with a spectacular checkout of 170, the legendary "Big Fish." This triumph marked the culmination of a long-awaited moment for the German darts player, who had been competing on the PDC Tour for nine years.

Why it matters for Michael van Gerwen

Clemens' victory was not without its challenges, however. The German darts player faced off against Michael van Gerwen in the second round, a match that proved to be one of the toughest of the day. Despite being on a weaker game, Clemens managed to emerge victorious, crediting van Gerwen's aura on the oche as a significant factor in his success.

"I think so too," Clemens said in an interview. "Afterward I went straight over to Lukas (Wenig) at the table and said: That was the toughest to play today. I don’t know why, but you just have so much respect for MvG. That aura on the oche is something special."

What comes next?

Clemens' win has sent shockwaves through the darts community, with many questioning what this means for van Gerwen's future in the sport. While van Gerwen has not commented on the matter, it is clear that Clemens' victory has set a new standard for competition in the PDC Tour.

In the latest episode of the podcast "Darts auf die 1," Clemens spoke about the respect he has for van Gerwen, as well as the dramatic finish to the final. When asked how his first PDC title feels, Clemens kept it grounded, stating that he basically always believed that one day everything would just click.

"I actually feel the same as always," Clemens said. "Of course, it’s something special to finally win after such a long time and so many lost finals. But I basically always believed that one day everything would just click."

A tournament where everything clicked

Clemens' win was not without its challenges, however. The German darts player faced off against Mickey Mansell in the quarterfinals, a match that proved to be far more relaxed than expected. "He just didn’t play well against me," Clemens said. "Mickey Mansell is actually a very dangerous opponent, but he seemed a bit out of steam."

The key to Clemens' success, however, was his consistent level of play throughout the tournament. "Overall I’ve felt really good over the last three days," Clemens said. "Even if I couldn’t get through at the European Tour Qualifiers again: I didn’t play under a 90 average in a single match. For more than ten games across three days, that’s definitely solid."

"Typical that it was the 170"

The sporting tension returned in the final, however. After a dramatic finish, Clemens emerged victorious, sealing the win with a checkout of 170. "The game was totally strange," Clemens said. "He doesn’t start well at all, then suddenly misses a 9-darter, then opens the next leg with two 180s again. And the very leg where he misses the 9-darter, I even end up winning."

When prompted by Marcel Althaus, Clemens confirmed that van Gerwen had thrown eight perfect darts in that leg. The Dutchman then missed three darts at double 6 before Clemens took the leg with a 12-darter.

category: match_report