LONDON (Reuters) - Dutchman Michael van Gerwen breezed past Britain's Michael Smith to win his third PDC World Championship title with a 7-3 victory at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday.
Already ranked number one in the world, van Gerwen - the winner in 2014 and 2017 - took a commanding 4-0 lead before England's Smith pulled the score back to 4-2 with the help of back-to-back bullseye finishes.
Smith was unable to maintain his momentum, however, and then missed a series of doubles as the 29-year-old van Gerwen dropped only one more set on his way to victory.
"It makes me feel the best feeling you can have. I've worked so hard for this," van Gerwen told Sky Sports.
"I was a bit nervous, of course... I think I need to go on a holiday now, I think I've earned it."
(Writing by Hugh Lawson; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)