Dart World Championship 2023

Michael Smith won his maiden World Darts Championship final the third attempt with an exceptional showing to defeat Michael van Gerwen 7-4 at Alexandra ...

This was the moment van Gerwen stepped up to the stage beforehand. Van Gerwen close to a nine-dart finish for his own glory, but missed out, and Smith came straight in to do it. Quite evenly matched across the board, van Gerwen with a higher average and checkout percentage, but Smith nailing more 180s and 100+ finishes. Smith nails double 15 to keep the set alive. The Merseyside man hit a double 8 to take charge of the final. He starts the sixth set with a few shaky darts but also a 180. Van Gerwen takes it with a second go at double 16, and he keeps the match alive. Smith has two chances at double 20 to seal an equaller, but misses one and hits a single on the other. He has the darts to go for the Championship. The Dutchman goes for the bull for victory, but it deflects just wide. He leaves 32 after nine darts to be crowned the winner, and he hits single 16, but then double 8. Smith had his chances to also take it 7-3, but let it slip to van Gerwen.

Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith will battle it out for Cazoo World Darts Championship glory in a blockbuster showdown at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday ...

You missed the doubles, nobody else did, and it was about putting it right. “I never thought after losing to Michael in 2019 that I would get another chance, so I’ve had a second, now I’ve got a third and I have never given up, I’ve always fought hard.” “From the heartache of playing Peter when I was 5-4 up and lost 7-5 – to where I’ve battled through for the last 11 months, just to get back to this stage and get another chance is special,” said Smith. “The way I played against Dimitri – if I do that in the final I think I’m going to win the game, but that doesn’t give you any guarantees so you need to remain focused. “Unbeatable is a big word, but I feel comfortable and from there on I can produce a lot, but you still have to do it when it matters. Three-time World Champion Van Gerwen and two-time runner-up Smith will lock horns in a repeat of the 2019 final on Tuesday January 3, with the winner also set to become the new world number one.

Live leg-by-leg updates, highlights and statistics from the PDC World Darts Championship final as Michael Smith faces Michael van Gerwen at the Alexandra ...

[wrote about extensively with stats in my pre-match preview](https://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/pdc-world-darts-championship-final-michael-smith-v-michael-van-gerwen-betting-tips-predictions-odds-statistics-h2h-record-and-sky-sports-tv-start-time/206363). However, although I'm tentatively going for van Gerwen tonight, I am pinning my hopes on Smith, who I backed at 8/1 in my [pre-tournament preview](https://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/pdc-world-darts-championship-2023-betting-tips-preview-and-predictions-for-the-sky-sports-televised-major-at-the-ally-pally/205816). Since 2020, MVG only leads 7-6 and pretty much all of those 13 matches in all competitions have been very close. Apart from that it's just been one-way traffic without any hiccups and he's now won 13 sets on the bounce since Dirk van Duijvenbode managed one in his 4-1 victory over his fellow Dutchman. Michael van Gerwen's statistics are quite simply sensational and he's producing the kind of consistency from his dominating pre-Covid era when he made 100 averages look so easy. Not the standard of darts you'd expect in a World Championship final between the two best players in the world! Sky Bet latest odds: MVG is now 1/6 favourite for glory while Michael Smith has now drifted slightly to 7/2 but it is early days. MVG starts to leave the stage thinking he'd lost the set but then realises there's a deciding leg to be played! Sky Bet latest odds: MVG is hot favourite again at 1/6 while Bully Boy is back out to 7/2 despite playing to such a high level. A 17th 180 from Smith takes the match count to 30 in just 32 legs! Smith threatens his second nine-darter of the match after six perfect darts and although it fails on the seventh, he goes on to win the title with an 11-darter! To be World Champion and world number one is amazing.

Three-time World Champion Van Gerwen stormed through to the semi-finals with a straight-sets demolition of Chris Dobey in a quick-fire tussle which lasted just ...

"It's business head on and knowing how I've played the last 12 months I could lift the title. But I didn't even qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts and a couple of months later I'm in the semi-finals of the worlds. "I'm in my third semis at the Worlds. I have my chances and I will make a good game. "I've had the semi-finals at the Matchplay and quarter-finals at the World Grand Prix so I'm slowly improving. They always say third time [to reach the semi-finals] is the right time and today it happened," said dancing Van den Bergh.

THE BEST LEG OF ALL TIME! ... MICHAEL VAN GERWEN MISSES D12 FOR A NINE-DARTER, AND THEN SMITH PINS A PERFECT LEG HIMSELF! ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS YOU'LL EVER ...

Between the announcer, the crowd, and the facial expressions of the dart-throwers, this hits every mark of an outstanding sports clip. And I know good sport when I see it. It has been a heavy day for sports and sports coverage.

On Tuesday, the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship held its final between England's Michael Smith and Netherlands' Michael van Gerwen, a rematch of the ...

Just one of the greatest moments of intense sporting genius you’ll ever see It's beautiful. The disbelief from the announcers, the wild reaction of the fans, and even the camera cuts made for some incredible drama. [January 3, 2023] If you aren’t aware of how professional darts work, both players start at 501 with the goal to hit zero before your opponent. On Tuesday, the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship held its final between England’s Michael Smith and Netherlands’ Michael van Gerwen, a rematch of the championship match from 2019.