Barney up four a fight
RAYMOND van Barneveld thinks he might need more darts to knock out Michael van Gerwen in today’s all-Dutch quarter-final.
“How do you beat Michael? Probably by throwing four or five darts every time when he has only three,” said Barney.
Defending champion Van Gerwen has not lost at a major event since October, although he did have to battle to beat Gerwyn Price 4-2 to reach the last eight.
The last man to beat him at the World Championship was Barney two years ago in round three, but since then MVG has dominated.
“At the last exhibition night I did with him he asked a security guard to name a finish and bet him £20 he could take it out in three darts,” added Barney.
Lifted
“The guard named 132 and straight away Michael fires in bullseye, bullseye, double 16 and says, ‘You owe me 20 quid’.
“To beat him, if you get one chance to break his throw, or a shot at a double to win the leg, you have to take it.
“Two years ago, when I beat him at the World Championship, he averaged something like 120 in the first set but in the end I won 4-3, so it can be done.”
Barney, 50, is a five-time world champion, winning his first in 1998 and his last in 2007.
“My dream is to play in another world final 20 years after winning my first title,” he said.
Van Gerwen, 28, beat Barney in last year’s semi 6-2 on his way to his second title.
He said: “How do I beat Barney? Put him under pressure. When he doesn’t play well, you can tell from his body language.”