Michael van Gerwen may be the number one seed for the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, but the six-time champion insists he is not the man to beat. "It is always nice to go into a tournament as the number 1 seed," he told AD. "I have done that so many times. But I am not the favourite for this tournament, and that also puts me in an underdog position. I hope to be able to show some great things from there."
Van Gerwen's form on the World Series circuit this year has been promising, earning him the top seed despite competing in only three events. He skipped New York, Auckland and Wollongong, but won titles in Bahrain and Copenhagen, sandwiched around a final defeat to Luke Littler at the inaugural Saudi Darts Masters. Last year, van Gerwen defeated Littler in the World Series Finals final to claim the title.
However, consistency has eluded him on the big stage. "I think that's a very simplistic view," he said of his ranking situation. "You just know that if you have a bad year, you're going to plummet in the world rankings. That's not rocket science." The 37-year-old has fallen to his lowest ranking since 2013 and could drop outside the top 20 if results do not go his way. With no ranking money on offer at the World Series Finals, the event represents a chance to regain confidence. "If you play good matches and keep doing so continuously, the performances will come naturally," he added. "Of course, there are also many good players at this tournament who can throw an average of 100 very easily. But I am mentally strong enough to pull that off as well. I am really going to enjoy myself and try to play my own game."
Van Gerwen has also undergone a significant weight loss, adopting a healthier lifestyle. "I've mainly started eating a bit healthier and exercising a bit more," he explained. But he does not believe it has affected his form. "I wouldn't dare say that yet, and actually, it doesn't interest me that much," he admitted. "If you look purely at my performances from last year, they weren't always that good. And I'm not throwing any worse now than last year. So I think it has worked in a positive way. I also feel much better as a person now. I feel more comfortable in my own skin, and the rest comes naturally from there."
He remains confident that his hard work will pay off. "I train hard every day and put a lot of time into it, because I think that is very important. It takes some time, but it will pay off 100 percent. I am very sure of that."
Van Gerwen was originally set to face Philippines thrower Lourence Ilagan, but visa issues cancelled that prospect. Instead, he will take on 2017 semi-finalist Daryl Gurney. The winner will face either Ross Smith or Kevin Doets, while Stephen Bunting is the other seed in van Gerwen's quarter of the draw.
