European Championship Darts 2016: Winner, Prize Money, Final Scores and Results
Michael van Gerwen completed a hat-trick of European Championship titles after winning the continental crown for the third year in succession on Sunday, where he defeated runner-up Mensur Suljovic 11-1 at the Ethias Arena in Hasselt, Belgium.
The defending champion, who has already won titles in the Premier League, World Grand Prix and World Matchplay this year, won the last nine legs on the trot to secure his third European Championship with some comfort.
Suljovic sealed a memorable 10-3 rout of Phil Taylor in the quarter-finals, while Van Gerwen defeated Dutch compatriot Jelle Klaasen to make his way into the final four, where he beat James Wade to book a spot in the final.
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Wade got the better of English countryman James Wilson in Hasselt to take his place in the final four, while Suljovic's semi-final opponent, Peter Wright, defeated Australia's Kyle Anderson in the quarters.
Read on for a recap of Sunday's climactic finish to the 2016 European Championship, where the world No. 1 held up his favourite tag to clinch the crown in Belgium.
| Winner | Score | Loser |
| Michael van Gerwen | 11-1 | Mensur Suljovic |
| Winner | Score | Loser |
| Michael van Gerwen | 11-7 | James Wade |
| Mensur Suljovic | 11-8 | Peter Wright |
| Winner | Score | Loser |
| James Wade | 10-7 | James Wilson |
| Michael van Gerwen | 10-3 | Jelle Klaasen |
| Mensur Suljovic | 10-3 | Phil Taylor |
| Peter Wright | 10-5 | Kyle Anderson |
Recap
Van Gerwen encountered a foe in frightening form in Sunday's final following Suljovic's sterling run to the decider at the Ethias Arena, but it was there that Mighty Mike showed his class when it mattered.
For all the promise underdog Suljovic showed earlier in the competition, there was simply no stopping Van Gerwen in this prolific mode of attack, as emphasised by PDC Darts as he took a six-leg lead:
The Dutchman held a three-dart average of 130 after nine legs, and although Suljovic did allow several potential checkouts evade his grasp, this was all about the pedigree of his final foe at his very best.
After leading 2-1, Van Gerwen opened his stride and won the last nine legs played, finishing with double nine, as Sky Sports' Paul Prenderville put the star's accomplishments into finer detail:
Suljovic, without a doubt the surprise package of the European Championship's final day, edged a tense semi against Snakebite, who fought back on several occasions only to be dumped out under close circumstances.
The official PDC Darts Twitter account confirmed a landmark win for the Austrian, who put together four successive leg victories tied at 3-3, a streak that proved pivotal in creating his path to the final:
Van Gerwen, on the other hand, had an easier-looking run through the semi-final after three three-leg streaks were enough to see him past Wade on the brighter end of an 11-7 scoreline with a high finish of 135.
The Dutchman showed his class as his quality came through in bunches, and his final push from an 8-7 lead was sufficient to see him over the finish line before posting on Instagram full of intent:
Earlier on Sunday, The Power was subject to one of the upsets of the tournament after Suljovic sealed a shocking 10-3 result in his favour, handing one of the competition's favourite an early exit in the quarter-finals.
Taylor was level at one game apiece before Suljovic embarked upon a mesmerising five-leg spree his foe simply couldn't recover from, although the English figure remained humble in defeat:
Significantly more surprising than the result itself is just how one-sided Suljovic made the fixture look, emerging as victor by seven legs with a high score of 76 and an impressive three-dart average of 105.50.
Klaasen and Wilson also fell out of the running at the quarter-final phase following losses to Van Gerwen and Wade, respectively, while Anderson surrendered a 10-5 scoreline to Scotsman Peter Wright.
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