Michael van Gerwen fires warning to title rivals as he drops just one leg in rout of Lewy Williams

Michael van Gerwen started his quest for a fourth PDC World Championship title by routing Lewy Williams, with the Dutchman dropping just one leg en route to a commanding 3-0 win.

Van Gerwen had to withdraw from final 12 months’s occasion after being struck down by Covid-19 however he is among the many favourites to regain the Sid Waddell Trophy after claiming 4 main titles in 2022.

He despatched a warning to his rivals at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday evening, averaging 101.84 as he put his overmatched Welsh opponent to the sword to cruise into the third spherical.

Michael van Gerwen made sturdy begin in his bid for a fourth PDC World Championship title

The 2014, 2017 and 2019 champion will tackle both Austria’s Mensur Suljovic or Belgium’s Mike De Decker subsequent Wednesday.

‘It wasn’t good however I feel I performed fairly nicely,’ Van Gerwen informed Sky Sports. ‘I had to work laborious for it, a efficiency like this does not come from nothing.

‘It offers me rather a lot of pleasure to be again on this stage, Ally Pally has a particular place in my coronary heart. To obtain such an incredible reception from the gang means rather a lot to me.

Dave Chisnall defeated fellow Englishman Andrew Gilding to attain the third spherical

‘I’m at all times attempting to play darts on the highest degree I presumably can. I do know what I’m succesful of.’

Dave Chisnall – who beat Van Gerwen en route to the semi-finals two years in the past – earlier defeated fellow Englishman Andrew Gilding 3-1 in a match the place each gamers recorded seven 180s.

Mervyn King, a quarter-finalist 12 months in the past, withstood a fightback from Danny Baggish, who battled from 2-0 down to drive a decider solely to undergo a 3-2 defeat.

There had been additionally wins for Stephen Bunting, Gabriel Clemens, Josh Rock and Darius Labanauskas.