van gerwen answered a pointed pre-match comment with an even sharper response after beating Michael Unterbuchner 6-2 at the European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen on Saturday evening. The Dutchman said he was unimpressed by Unterbuchner’s joke, after the German had asked: “Who is that?” following his first-round win. Van Gerwen now moves on to face Jermaine Wattimena in the last 16, while the tournament also delivered a major shock with defending champion Gary Anderson knocked out.
Van Gerwen advances with a message
van gerwen cruised through his opening match of the event and made clear he had no intention of letting the exchange linger. He described Unterbuchner as “one of them guys that tries to be funny, ” and added that the German “has never beaten me in his life and he will never beat me in his life. ”
He went further, saying: “He’s not good enough. Even my B-game and C-game beats him but who cares?” He finished the point bluntly: “The day I’m going to worry myself about Unterbuchner, that’s the day I’m going to quit playing darts. ”
Van Gerwen in control as the bracket shifts
The win keeps Van Gerwen on course to chase the title for a third time in Sindelfingen. The Dutchman’s next test comes against Jermaine Wattimena, who averaged 99 to win an all-Dutch match against Kevin Doets and book his place in the last 16.
Elsewhere, the biggest surprise of the tournament so far came when Niko Springer dumped out defending champion Gary Anderson 6-3. Anderson produced two ton-plus checkouts, but Springer stayed in front to seal a convincing win and set up a meeting with Danny Noppert.
Jonny Clayton also delivered one of the standout performances of the day, averaging 106. 78 in a 6-1 victory over Valters Melderis. He opened with legs of 13, 11 and 11 darts and later threatened a nine-dart finish, underlining the level of form at the top of the event.
Reaction and what it means next
The immediate reaction around the stage centered on Van Gerwen’s tone as much as the scoreline. His comments left no doubt that the exchange with Unterbuchner had been noticed, and they added extra edge to a match Van Gerwen had already controlled on the board.
There was broader movement across the draw too, with Wessel Nijman averaging more than 104 in a 6-2 win over Ryan Searle and Stephen Bunting progressing after converting 75 per cent of his doubles. For Van Gerwen, the focus now shifts quickly to Wattimena, with the Dutchman’s pursuit of a third European Darts Grand Prix title still very much alive in Sindelfingen. For van gerwen, the next round now brings a different kind of pressure: keep winning, or let the noise grow louder.
