Michael van Gerwen: Why darts superstar is a sporting genius

In what Jonathan Liew of the Daily Telegraph calls "one of the most breathtaking displays of scoring ever seen", Michael van Gerwen has just claimed a second Professional Darts Corporation title at Alexandra Palace after beating the defending champion Gary Anderson 7-3.

Between them the two men scored 42 maximum 180s during the match, but it was Van Gerwen, averaging 108 per throw, who emerged victorious, despite the late intervention of a stage invader who grabbed the Sid Waddell trophy as Van Gerwen threw for the title.

"It was an unprecedented intrusion in the tournament," says The Times, which adds that Van Gerwen was able to regain his focus, even though Anderson won the penultimate set.

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"The 27-year-old from Boxtel in Holland now holds every single major trophy in darts," says Liew of the Telegraph. "And on nights like this, when he weaves his spell, when he treats the treble-20 bed like his own personal voodoo doll, you feel privileged to have been there, to witness one of the few genuine geniuses plying his trade in sport today."

Gerwen, the dominant player of his generation, won the title in 2014 but was beaten by Anderson in the semi-final a year later. Since that defeat in 2015 he had won 43 tournaments. His victory on Monday night makes it 44.

"There were concerns that Van Gerwen might want – need – to win it too much this year," says Rob Smyth of The Guardian. "Instead his desire was an endless source of fuel that catalysed some of the greatest darts ever seen.

"In years to come the tournament may look processional – Van Gerwen lost only nine sets in seven matches – but he was pushed seriously hard. Three of the four highest losing averages in the history of the world championship, including Anderson, came against Van Gerwen in this tournament."

He has a "formidable, borderline unbeatable fusion of divine talent and intimidating mental strength", says Smyth, which makes him "an authentic superstar".

It was "the finest hail of arrows since William the Conqueror's game of archery with King Harold at Hastings", says Mike Walters of the Daily Mirror.

"Van Gerwen doesn't just lob tungsten toothpicks at a dartboard – his spears come straight from Rorke's Drift... That Shrek-green shirt has become one of the most recognisable sporting jerseys, like the Tour de France leader's fabled maillot jaune or the All Black rugby top."

The Dutchman has been described as the Michael Jordan of darts by the New York Times, says the Daily Mail, which compares him to Lionel Messi.

And on Monday night, "with each unerring dart, we found out why", writes Kieran Gill of the Mail. "His post-match press conference was interrupted by a phone call from the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte. Make no mistake, Van Gerwen is a celebrity in Holland."

He is also a hero to darts fans in north London, so much so that one of them rushed onto the stage at Alexandra Palace and attempted to present Van Gerwen with the trophy during the ninth set as he prepared to throw for the match.