Michael van Gerwen laughs off Luke Littler fears with darts duo on World Championships collision course
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN vowed there is “not a chance” he is SCARED of Luke Littler.
The three-times world champ dismissed any notion that he is worried about taking on the teen sensation at the World Championship next month.
Michael van Gerwen has vowed that he isn’t scared of facing Luke Littler at the World Championship[/caption]
Littler and MVG are likely to face each other in the fast approaching competition[/caption]
MVG and Littler, 17, are on a possible collision course to meet in the final at the Ally Pally on January 3.
But at the Championship draw in London, Van Gerwen laughed off any fear factor saying: “I’m not playing my best and he’s still not beat me more than I’ve beaten him.
“Am I scared of him? Not a chance!
“I think it’s a total combination. He’s a good player, of course he is. He has the media attention and everything goes his way at the moment, he’s in a flow.
“Luke Littler is not unbeatable. He lost first round in the World Matchplay to me, he lost in the first round in the Grand Prix.
“Then he is winning a tournament again, then [Luke] Humphries won. You have Mike De Decker winning a tournament and Richie Edhouse the European Championship. No one is unbeatable.
“Of course his standard I think is great for the game. He’s got the capability of doing it for a long time.”
Van Gerwen is, unusually, not being talked up for a fourth title this year.
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All the attention is on which Luke will walk away with the Sid Waddell Trophy.
But does that make him a dangerous opponent? He added: “Maybe, I don’t know yet.
“I think they [Humphries and Littler] deserve the credit. For me I’m not really worrying about what they do.
“I have to deal with my own situation. I have to focus myself on my own game and we are going to see what will happen at the World Championship.
“It is a different tournament. I’ve never played bad there so that’s a good thing.
“I’m more relaxed now and my darts have to do the talking. The only thing I can reply with that: work hard, practice hard and make sure I get mentally ready for the World Championship.”