Michael van Gerwen asked for an Elvis impersonator to be moved away from the stage before edging Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 at the Slovak Darts Open in Bratislava.
The moment came during Saturday night’s second-round action at the inaugural Slovak Darts Open, where Van Gerwen survived a deciding-leg test to keep his European Tour title bid alive.
The Dutchman was listed among the headline names for the ninth European Tour event of the season, with the tournament running from 19-21 June in Slovakia’s capital. His win over Ratajski set up a Sunday last-16 meeting with Andrew Gilding as the event moved towards quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final in the evening session.
Van Gerwen still in the hunt in Bratislava
The unusual stage-side interruption added a lighter detail to what was otherwise a tense night for Van Gerwen, who needed all 11 legs to get past Ratajski.
Sky Sports noted the Elvis incident in its Slovak Darts Open schedule and results update, while also confirming the Sunday afternoon last-16 line-up.
For Van Gerwen, the key point is that he remains alive in a £35,000 title race at a tournament where several seeds have already fallen. With Andrew Gilding next, he now has another chance to turn a scrappy escape into a serious run at the Bratislava trophy.
