Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price will not compete at the Poland Darts Open this weekend, with both stars withdrawing for medical reasons. The tournament, which runs from February 20 to 22 in Krakow, marks the first edition of the Poland Darts Open on the Euro Tour calendar. World number one Luke Littler and former world champion Luke Humphries headline the field, but the absence of Price and Van Gerwen leaves a significant portion of the elite missing.
Price pulled out after Night Three of the Premier League Darts, which was staged Thursday in Glasgow. There, he lost his opening match 6-3 to compatriot Jonny Clayton, who went on to win the night. Van Gerwen had already missed that event due to medical issues and has not recovered sufficiently to appear in Poland, with his withdrawal officially confirmed on Friday morning. For Van Gerwen, this marks another missed major-stage appearance after also skipping the Premier League night in Glasgow earlier.
The vacant spots in the field have now been filled. Former world champion Michael Smith takes Price’s place, while Callan Rydz, a two-time World Championship quarter-finalist, replaces Van Gerwen. Because both withdrawals were announced only after the draw, Smith and Rydz directly assume their predecessors’ positions in the bracket, meaning they will enter in the second round on Saturday, just as Price and Van Gerwen were originally due to do.
Price and Van Gerwen are expected in Belfast next week for Night Four of the Premier League Darts, where the two players will face each other in the quarter-finals in Northern Ireland. Both have already won a night in the Premier League this season, with Van Gerwen best on opening night in Newcastle and Price claiming the weekly title in Antwerp.
