‘It’s on again’ – Michael van Gerwen produced 17 perfect darts before falling agonisingly close from historic double nine-darter

Michael van Gerwen has fallen short of darting immortality in two of the most famous nine-dart finishes in Ally Pally history.

‘Mighty Mike’ is one of the game’s all-time greats but two agonising throws at the World Darts Championship still keep him up at night.

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The most recent at the PDC tournament saw him be on the wrong end of the greatest leg of darts ever in the 2023 final.

Van Gerwen and Michael Smith were both memorably able to achieve a nine-dart finish with three more darts to throw.

‘The Green Machine’ missed his last shot before his Brit rival made the double 12 en route to lifting the trophy.

That was the last nine-darter at the World Championship until Christian Kist pocketed a £60,000 bonus for doing so this week.

Van Gerwen would have been wishing his Dutch compatriot’s prize was on offer for his only successful nine-darter at Ally Pally.

That would have at least provided a consolation after nailing 17 perfect darts during his 2013 victory over James Wade.

Van Gerwen even had an argument that it should be considered 19 after his previous visit to the oche finished with a treble 19.

His score of 134 wasn’t enough to win the leg as Wade then took out 82 but the Brit was powerless to prevent what happened next.

In the third leg of the fifth set, the 35-year-old landed 180, 177 and finished 144 with double 12 to send the Ally Pally crowd wild.

“Magnificent Michael van Gerwen raises the roof with a nine-darter in a world championship semi-final”, screamed out the voice of the iconic darts commentator and late broadcaster John Gwynne.

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The roof in north London then became clean off when Van Gerwen continued to delight with another eight perfect arrows.

Before Wayne Mardle couldn’t ‘spake’, Gwynee was the man on the microphone to tell fans at home exactly what was unfurling.

He added: “Nobody has ever struck nine-darters in successive legs but this man now suddenly from nowhere produces magic the likes of which we may have never seen or may never see again.

“141 he’s on again – he’s on again…”

History beckoned for MVG as he stood on the brink of becoming the first player to hit two nine-darters in the same match at the Worlds.

However, the then 23-year-old heartbreakingly missed double 12 by a millimetre and the unique feat has still never been achieved at either the Circus Tavern or Ally Pally.

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“I have never done it in practice [successive nine-darters]. I was close but I didn’t do it,” said Van Gerwen.

“I was very concentrated. I thought to myself ‘carry on’ because I was 2-1 down.

“I still lost that set but it is not about nine-darters, it is about winning games and I am happy with myself for getting into the final.”

Van Gerwen went on to beat Wade 6-4 to set up a final clash with the legendary Phil Taylor but it wasn’t meant to be as he suffered defeat.

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The Dutchman bounced back to get his hands on the biggest trophy in darts the following year with a 7-4 victory over Peter Wright.

That was the first of Van Gerwen’s three world titles but over a decade later, it’s what he didn’t do that remains in the record books.

In 2022, Van Gerwen’s near-double nine-darter was voted the most iconic moment from the first 30 years of the PDC.

Three months later he played his part in another nine-darter moment sure to be a contender for the eventual 60th anniversary.

Another way to say that is it’s on again…