'One of the closest venues from my house' - Michael van Gerwen relishes Dutch Darts Masters showdown

The second staging of the World Series of Darts event will take place at De Maaspoort in Den Bosch from January 26-27, as the 16-player field compete for the Toon Greebe Trophy, which was unveiled at Thursday’s launch event at Den Bosch Town Hall.

Friday’s first round will pit the eight PDC superstars against the eight Benelux representatives, as defending champion Dimitri Van den Bergh and Dutch icon Raymond van Barneveld also feature.

However, Dutch number one Van Gerwen will take centre stage on a star-studded opening night, as he plays his close friend Van der Voort for a place in the quarter-finals.

“It’s probably one of the closest venues you can get to my house, so I’m really looking forward to it,” revealed Van Gerwen, a runner-up in last week’s Bahrain Darts Masters.

“It is always really special to play in front of your home crowd, and I’m feeling very confident.

“I think the way I performed in Bahrain was quite impressive. I was disappointed with the way I played in the final, but that’s how darts goes sometimes.

“You have to learn from it, but I’m feeling good and I think the crowd can help me a lot, although you still have to perform yourself."