Tensions appeared close to bubbling over as Michael van Gerwen beat Rob Cross to seal his spot in the Grand Slam of Darts knockout stages.
'Mighty Mike' hit back from 3-1 down to triumph 5-4 and make it two wins from as many outings in Group G. But he and his opponent seemed to share some tense words after Van Gerwen put the finishing touches on his comeback.
The Dutchman pumped his fist and puffed his chest to celebrate his later win on the hunt for silverware, as he often does. It was hard to tell who might have been more responsible for the atmosphere getting frosty, but it was clear at one point all was not hunky dory.
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Thankfully for those in attendance at Aldersley Leisure Village, it wasn't long before the pair moved past any short-lived cold shoulders. And before spectators knew it, Cross had his hand back on Van Gerwen's shoulder as they exuded a much warmer aura.
When asked about the incident after the match, Van Gerwen confirmed there was 'no bad feelings' between him and Cross. The Netherlands native insisted all he did was ask 'Voltage' if anything was wrong, to which Cross replied he was 'just disappointed in himself'.
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The Englishman surrendered four of the last five legs to register his first defeat of this year's tournament, having beaten Martijn Kleermaker 5-4 in his curtain-raiser. It would have been Cross sailing into the last 16 had he been able to top the ninth and final leg.
Fans were divided over whom looked more to blame based on what they could see, with some dubbing Cross a 'sore loser' while others took aim at Van Gerwen. Not that it mattered much as they wrapped things up in fine spirits.
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Van Gerwen will face off against Kleermaker himself on Wednesday, hoping to finish strong in the pool before heading into the last 16. There, he'll join the likes of Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries and Josh Rock, each of whom also won their first two group matches.
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