Michael van Gerwen, gunning for Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters treble, unfazed by UAE heat

DUBAI // Played inside a tennis stadium in the desert, the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters may be about as far away from the game’s origins in the public houses of Great Britain as it is possible to be.

The first leg of the darts World Series is always guaranteed to prompt another pastime the British are famous for — talking about the weather.

As the only outdoor competition in professional darts, the Masters presents unique conditions. Players who are used to playing in air-conditioned arenas suddenly have to contend with the heat of early summer in the UAE, as well as wind.

Last year, one of the leading players, Adrian Lewis, said he had been forced to throw his darts from their flights rather than the barrels, as his hands were sweating so much.

Phil Taylor, the most successful player in darts, suggests cross breezes are likely to provide a challenge, too.

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“The tournament is hard because of the conditions you are playing in,” said Taylor, who starts his challenge against Peter Wright on Thursday night.

“I know it is going to be windy. I think that is going to have big tale to tell on every player, but it is going to be the same for everybody.”

Even Michael van Gerwen, the premier player in darts at present, is not exempt from discussing the weather — and he is Dutch.

World No 1 Van Gerwen is hoping to complete a hat-trick of Dubai titles at this weekend’s third staging of the tournament.

This year his pre-eminence has been challenged by world champion Gary Anderson, who missed the trip to the UAE last year because of the birth of his son, and he will be faced with the unusual conditions of this competition for the first time.

“He has never played in this tournament, so first he will have to handle the heat, and the fact we are throwing outdoors,” Van Gerwen said. “We will see who can handle that the best. I think that is me.

“It’s nothing to worry about. You can moan about it, but you just have to concentrate on what you are going to do.”

Van Gerwen has coped best with the prevailing climate at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. “It doesn’t affect me at all,” he said of the idea of sweaty palms affecting his grip on the tungsten arrows.

“You think Roger Federer doesn’t sweat when he plays in this stadium? He needs to run a bit harder than me.”

Ahead of his debut in the competition, Anderson said he has liked what he has seen in Dubai.

He said he spent an hour standing and staring out of the window of his room on the 62nd floor of his hotel. He has to have the air-conditioning set to about 18° Celsius, though.

He is excited about the prospect of competing outdoors for the first time.

“It is like this in Scotland, exactly the same,” joked Anderson, the world No 3.

“I’m looking forward to it. I think some of the boys have changed their darts to a heavier set, but I am sticking with my normal set-up.

“If you throw your normal dart and it goes slightly to the right, you just have to throw slightly to the left. It’s not rocket science — or, at least, hopefully it isn’t.”

pradley@thenational.ae

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