Michael van Gerwen's five-year winning streak at the Winmau World Masters came to an abrupt end as he suffered a 3-1 defeat to Australia's Damon Heta in the opening round of the tournament. The Dutchman, who has won this event a record five times, averaged only 88.36 and struggled with his finishing against the Australian, who took the third set with a 124 finish but ultimately lost the second despite Van Gerwen wasting seven darts at double.
Van Gerwen's departure was a surprise to many, considering his reputation as one of the sport's top players. However, he was beaten by Heta in a tight encounter that saw the Australian claim victory after taking the third set with a 118 finish and then wrapping up the win with a 101 checkout.
Gian van Veen, on the other hand, made a successful start to his campaign, coming from behind to beat Ryan Joyce 3-1. The Dutchman, who had not qualified for last year's event, told ITV that he enjoyed the match but did make it "a little bit difficult for myself" after falling behind in the first set.
Nathan Aspinall also made a strong start to his campaign, averaging over 105 in a 3-1 win over Shane McGuirk. The Englishman took seven out of eleven attempts at double to seal the victory and will now face Van Veen in the next round.
Gerwyn Price delivered the performance of the night, averaging 108.5 in a straight-set demolition of James Hurrell. The Welshman won six of eight legs available, including four maximums, and is set to face Jonny Clayton in the next round.
James Wade also secured a crucial win over Madars Razma in a final-set decider, while Gary Anderson beat Niels Zonneveld by 101 averages to set up a second-round meeting with his veteran rival.
The final eight spots will be confirmed on Friday as defending champion Luke Humphries and back-to-back world Luke Littler take on Dave Chisnall and Mike de Decker respectively.
Van Gerwen's departure was a surprise to many, considering his reputation as one of the sport's top players. However, he was beaten by Heta in a tight encounter that saw the Australian claim victory after taking the third set with a 118 finish and then wrapping up the win with a 101 checkout.
Gian van Veen, on the other hand, made a successful start to his campaign, coming from behind to beat Ryan Joyce 3-1. The Dutchman, who had not qualified for last year's event, told ITV that he enjoyed the match but did make it "a little bit difficult for myself" after falling behind in the first set.
Nathan Aspinall also made a strong start to his campaign, averaging over 105 in a 3-1 win over Shane McGuirk. The Englishman took seven out of eleven attempts at double to seal the victory and will now face Van Veen in the next round.
Gerwyn Price delivered the performance of the night, averaging 108.5 in a straight-set demolition of James Hurrell. The Welshman won six of eight legs available, including four maximums, and is set to face Jonny Clayton in the next round.
James Wade also secured a crucial win over Madars Razma in a final-set decider, while Gary Anderson beat Niels Zonneveld by 101 averages to set up a second-round meeting with his veteran rival.
The final eight spots will be confirmed on Friday as defending champion Luke Humphries and back-to-back world Luke Littler take on Dave Chisnall and Mike de Decker respectively.
anyway, I'm loving Gian van Veen's comeback story! That guy's determination is inspiring. And Gerwyn Price just destroyed James Hurrell! I mean what can you do when a player's on 
? Aspinall and Wade also had solid starts, and it's gonna be an exciting tournament. Can't wait to see the rest of the brackets unfold 
the darts is lookin fierce this year! michael van gerwen's loss to damon heta was a total shocker 
i mean, he's been on fire for years but somehow he got taken down by the aussie. but hey, gotta respect heta's game he played some solid darts there 
meanwhile gian van veen and nathan aspinall are lookin strong they're gonna make a deep run in this tournament for sure 
and gerwyn price just destroyed james hurrell lol what a performance 
can't wait to see the rest of the competition unfold 
That's like Messi losing to a nobody in the Champions League 
️. I mean, we all know he's still an amazing player and all, but it's not the same as winning the whole thing five years in a row, ya know? 
. Not bad at all! But Nathan Aspinall, man... that guy averaged 105 and took down Shane McGuirk like it was nothing 
. And then Gerwyn Price comes along and smashes James Hurrell 3-0? That's just not right 
.
. Bring on the next round!
. On a more positive note, Gian van Veen's come from behind win is super inspiring - he's definitely got some fire 
, averaging 108.5 and taking out James Hurrell with ease 
... he's always been so consistent and dominant in the sport, but i guess even the best can have an off day 
... Damon heta played an amazing game, though! he's definitely one to watch out for in this tournament 
... these are gonna be some epic matches to watch! 
. hope nathan aspinall can keep up the momentum against van veen 
.
anyway, I'm loving the start of the tournament so far! Heta vs Van Gerwen was a close match and I think Damon came out on top well played by him 
Gian van Veen did alright too, beating Joyce in a nail-biter 
Aspinall's average was insane tho, must be all that practice paying off 
but Damon heta's comeback was insane 
, can't wait to see how they do in the next rounds 
! And Gary Anderson's win over Niels was a nice one too 
, love seeing those old-school darts battles 
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. Coming back from behind takes a lot of guts, and he showed that he can handle pressure 
- 108.5 average is just crazy! 
. It's gonna be a tough road for some of these players, but it's gonna be entertaining to watch 
meanwhile james wade vs madars razma was a thriller 