Van Gerwen Takes Youth Double

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN won his second PDC Unicorn Youth Tour event, defeating Co Stompe Jnr 4-1 in an all-Dutch final at the K2 Centre in Crawley.

Van Gerwen had been the winner in Wigan at the end of April, defeating Ash Khayat in the final, and picked up the £600 first prize to move to the top of the Youth Tour Order of Merit.

The Dutch ace dropped only two legs in his opening five games, with only Lewis McGurn pushing him all the way.

Van Gerwen then defeated Chris Aubrey 4-2 in the semis, before winning 4-1 in the decider.

Stompe shared the first two legs with his opponent, finishing 86 for a 14-darter in the second leg, but van Gerwen took out double 16 for the third and then broke in the fourth on tops after his opponent missed three darts to level.

Van Gerwen then showed his experience to close out the win, opening the fifth leg with scores of 125, 140 and 140 before hitting double ten to deny Stompe a fightback.

"I'm really happy," said van Gerwen. "I wanted to win another Youth Tour event quickly to keep my confidence and form after Wigan, so to do it is a boost.

"Having Co in the final with me shows that there's good players coming through in Holland as well as in the UK, which is great to see."

Stompe Jnr, the son of World Cup winner Co Stompe, enjoyed his best run on the Youth Tour as he followed recent finishes in the quarter-finals and semi-finals by reaching the decider, picking up £400 prize money.

His run on the day included victories over Michael Smith - with a 4-1 win in the semis - as well as against more experienced pair Adam Smith-Neale and Ryan Herrington, plus fellow Dutchman Wouter Vaes.

Aubrey reached his third semi-final of the year, while Smith's run to the last four was his best performance since event two in Barnsley, when he hit a nine-darter and was runner-up.

Hull's Reece Robinson reached the quarter-finals for the fourth time in the last five events, and he was joined in the last eight by Smith-Neale, Jamie Grinhaff and Daniel King-Morris.

Joe Cullen, who won last week's Youth Tour event in Austria, was knocked out 3-2 by King-Morris in the last 32.

The next PDC Unicorn Youth Tour event will be held at the Barnsley Metrodome on Saturday June 11. Entry, costing £25, is open to players aged 14-21 by calling the PDC Head Office on 08712 501 180 during office hours.

PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Event Eight
First Round

Marc Evans 3-0 Liam Bonner
Paul Barham 3-0 Aaron Bans
Ben Songhurst 3-2 James Young
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Robbie Herbert
Brandon Monk 3-2 Dan Read
Jonathan Mulley 3-2 Tom McGurn
Ross Robson 3-2 Jake Jones
Sean White 3-1 Dan Cross
Nick Kenny 3-2 Owen Grantham
Rees Hall 3-0 Zak Fullick
Reece Robinson 3-0 Connor Durham
David Coyne 3-0 David Everley
Matthew Dicken 3-0 Spencer Murphy
Simon Hicks Bye (Mike Nissen timed out)
Adam Hunt 3-0 Karl Brooks
Jamie Landon 3-2 Lewis Venes
Adam Smith-Neale 3-1 Darren Whittingham
Josh Jones 3-0 Luke Humphries
Curtis Hammond 3-0 Steve Haggerty
Co Stompe Jnr 3-1 Ryan Herrington
Greg Upton 3-1 Jonny Ansell
Kurtis Atkins 3-1 Anthony West
Jack Tweddell 3-0 Mason Riou
James Smith 3-1 Sam Hill
David Pallett 3-1 Jack Hill
Gary Thorne 3-2 Thomas Newbie
Michael Smith 3-0 Mark Fluck
Joe Davis 3-1 Warren Grantham

Second Round
Jamie Grinhaff 3-0 Peter Browning
Jack Marriner 3-2 Marc Evans
Jamie Lewis 3-0 Craig Brown
Paul Barham 3-0 Ben Songhurst
Lewis McGurn 3-0 Sam Davidson
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Brandon Monk
James Thompson 3-1 Ryan Hitchens
Ross Robson 3-0 Jonathan Mulley
Martin Heneghan 3-1 Chris Bent
Chris Aubrey 3-0 Sean White
Ryan Maher 3-0 Bryan Flew
Rees Hall 3-1 Nick Kenny
James Hubbard 3-0 Joe Pearce
Reece Robinson 3-2 David Coyne
Ryan Harrington 3-0 Ross Mitchell
Matthew Dicken 3-0 Simon Hicks
Scott Pearson 3-1 Harry Annals
Paul Cooper 3-2 Adam Hunt
Charlie Jackson 3-1 Dean Reynolds
Adam Smith-Neale 3-2 Jamie Landon
Wouter Vaes 3-0 Joe Osman
Curtis Hammond 3-2 Josh Jones
Aden Kirk 3-0 Anthony Bonner
Co Stompe Jnr 3-0 Greg Upton
Daniel King-Morris 3-2 Scott Rollings
Joe Cullen 3-1 Kurtis Atkins
George Killington 3-0 Josh McCarthy
Jack Tweddell 3-0 James Smith
Dan Dean 3-1 Adam Griffiths
David Pallett 3-1 Gary Thorne
Ash Khayat 3-0 Jelle Muller
Michael Smith 3-1 Joe Davis

Third Round
Jamie Grinhaff 3-2 Jack Marriner
Jamie Lewis 3-2 Paul Barham
Michael van Gerwen 3-2 Lewis McGurn
James Thompson 3-1 Ross Robson
Chris Aubrey 3-0 Martin Heneghan
Ryan Maher 3-1 Rees Hall
Reece Robinson 3-0 James Hubbard
Matthew Dicken 3-2 Ryan Harrington
Paul Cooper 3-1 Scott Pearson
Adam Smith-Neale 3-1 Charlie Jackson
Wouter Vaes 3-1 Curtis Hammond
Co Stompe Jnr 3-1 Aden Kirk
Daniel King-Morris 3-2 Joe Cullen
George Killington 3-1 Jack Tweddell
David Pallett 3-1 Dan Dean
Michael Smith 3-2 Ash Khayat

Fourth Round
Jamie Grinhaff 3-2 Jamie Lewis
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 James Thompson
Chris Aubrey 3-0 Ryan Maher
Reece Robinson 3-2 Matthew Dicken
Adam Smith-Neale 3-1 Paul Cooper
Co Stompe Jnr 3-0 Wouter Vaes
Daniel King-Morris 3-1 George Killington
Michael Smith 3-1 David Pallett
Losers £25

Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Jamie Grinhaff
Chris Aubrey 3-2 Reece Robinson
Co Stompe Jnr 3-1 Adam Smith-Neale
Michael Smith 3-1 Daniel King-Morris
Losers £100

Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 4-2 Chris Aubrey
Co Stompe Jnr 4-1 Michael Smith
Losers £200

Final
Michael van Gerwen 4-1 Co Stompe Jnr
Winner £600
Runner-Up £400