William O'Connor has declared that no player in world darts can intimidate him after stunning Michael van Gerwen 6-5 at the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht, sealing a dramatic deciding-leg victory with a spectacular 121 checkout on the bullseye.

The Irishman averaged 101.83 and produced three ton-plus finishes to eliminate the three-time world champion in front of his home crowd, recovering from 5-4 down to secure one of his biggest victories of the season.

"There's no player in this world that can intimidate me," O'Connor insisted during his post-match interview on stage. "If I can play my darts, that's it. Win, lose or draw."

His victory had been anything but straightforward, with a missed opportunity at a nine-darter earlier in the contest threatening to derail a performance that eventually sent Van Gerwen crashing out of the final European Tour event of 2026.

Michael van Gerwen suffered a third Euro Tour defeat on the spin

Seven perfect darts and a missed opportunity that lingered until the end

O'Connor had threatened something extraordinary in the fourth leg, opening with consecutive 180s before finding a seventh successive treble 20. His eighth dart went narrowly astray, ending the nine-darter opportunity, but the leg itself remained firmly within reach.

Five missed darts at double followed, allowing Van Gerwen to steal the leg with a 72 checkout and immediately cancel out O'Connor's early break of throw.

"I think the leg, when I missed all those darts, when I was on that nine-darter, it let Michael back in," O'Connor admitted. "If I had won that leg, it might have been a little bit easier, but look, I'm just very happy to get over the line."

Van Gerwen subsequently moved 5-4 ahead, leaving O'Connor needing to win the final two legs against one of the most successful players in the sport's history.

The Irishman responded with a magnificent 131 checkout on double 16 to force a decider, before taking full advantage of Van Gerwen opening the final leg with consecutive visits of just 59.

A 121 checkout on the bullseye completed the upset, but the frustration of that fourth leg had stayed with O'Connor throughout the contest.

Asked how long it had taken him to put those missed opportunities behind him, his response was immediate. "Until the last dart was thrown. When that bullseye went in, oh my God!"

O'Connor also acknowledged the calibre of the opponent he had overcome. "Really, really good player, obviously one of the best players of all time," he said of Van Gerwen. "So to get a win over Michael on home soil, it's huge to me."

O'Connor refuses to be intimidated by the biggest names

The victory came against the most successful player in European Tour history, with Van Gerwen enjoying the backing of the Maastricht crowd throughout their second-round encounter.

Asked about the confidence he had displayed when walking onto the stage, O'Connor was adamant that an opponent's reputation would not affect his approach. "I just hope they don't come up here thinking they can intimidate me, because it's the last thing they can do."

Van Gerwen's defeat brought his European Tour campaign to an end without a title, despite having dominated the circuit for much of its history.

O'Connor, meanwhile, advances to Sunday's last 16 against Luke Woodhouse, his confidence bolstered by one of his biggest victories of the season. Having beaten Van Gerwen in front of a Dutch crowd with a 121 checkout in a deciding leg, he will have the chance to carry that form into the final day in Maastricht.