Michael van Gerwen has got his Premier League campaign up and running with victory on Week Two in Berlin.
On the first week in Cardiff, the defending champion lost his opening match, but the Dutchman bounced back in style on Thursday night.
After coming from behind to edge out Nathan Aspinall 6-4 in his quarter-final tie, Van Gerwen prevailed in a last-leg decider against Michael Smith.
That set up a showdown with Luke Littler, who also came through in a final leg versus Rob Cross and Luke Humphries to move through to a third-ever meeting with Van Gerwen.
At one stage, it appeared as though Littler would storm to success having taken the opening two legs, but Van Gerwen produced some high-quality darts to go 4-3 ahead.
VAN GERWEN THE BOSS IN BERLIN! 🟢
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 8, 2024
Michael van Gerwen survives two match darts in a dramatic last-leg decider to edge out Luke Littler and claim the Night Two spoils in the German capital! 🇩🇪
📺 https://t.co/gbUt9q25Jh#PLDarts | Final pic.twitter.com/ZfjXNwNDAx
Back came Littler, though, with the 17-year-old taking the 10th leg to force a decider and having a look at 80 to add another eye-catching victory to his recent tally after Van Gerwen had missed bull for a 122 checkout.
Instead, Littler missed two darts at his favourite double 10 before Van Gerwen returned to clear up 25, hitting double four with his final dart.
Van Gerwen, who averaged 101.07 in the final, moves up to second in the table, two points adrift of early leader Smith.
Littler joins Van Gerwen on the same points, with Gerwyn Price, who lost to Smith in his last-eight tie on Thursday, in fourth courtesy of his final appearance in Cardiff.
Aspinall and Peter Wright are joint-bottom of the table without a point to their name.
Darren Plant
