Smith thus avenged the three-time champions from the Netherlands for their defeat in the 2019 World Cup final. Last year Smith had also reached the final and was defeated by Peter Wright.
Smith not only secured the equivalent of 565,000 euros in prize money, but will also lead the world rankings for the first time after the triumph. He also managed a rare nine-darter in the second set of the final. Curiously, Van Gerwen had just missed the chance of the perfect game with the ninth and last throw. The feat of erasing the 501 points with just nine darts was last achieved by Adrian Lewis in a World Cup final twelve years ago.
The “Bully Boy”, as Smith is called, went on to make it 6:3 in sets after a 3:3 draw. Van Gerwen came up again, but missed the fourth world title after 2014, 2017 and 2019. Smith showed enormously strong play in the decisive moments in the eleventh set and was able to lift the 25-kilogram Sid Waddell Trophy in the end. The world champion comes from England for the first time since 2018. The “Ally Pally” stood upside down. “It’s coming home”, it sounded from the audience.
A lifelong dream came true for Smith. “That sounds breathtaking,” said the new world champion, but still described Van Gerwen as the best darts player in the world. “We’re trying to take our chances. I want to take over this sport but Michael is still here.” Van Gerwen gave his opponent his special moment: “He played very well. Of course I didn’t take my chances, but he was always there.”
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I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
