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World number eight Aspinall has confounded critics who opposed his inclusion in the eight-man competition, having been ranked 11 when the picks were made.<\/p>\n
His inclusion was questioned by fellow players Mike de Decker and Dave Chisnall amid suggestions his popular walk-on song Mr Brightside helped his case.<\/p>\n
The Stockport-born player has battled online abuse over his participation, as well as recovering from injuries and dartitis to reach the final four.<\/p>\n
“I came off social media because of the abuse I was getting,” said ‘The Asp’ after his second nightly win, in Aberdeen a week ago.<\/p>\n
“I’m not being exaggerated here, but it ruined my life for a month, not just my life, my family’s. It was horrific. “<\/p>\n
Aspinall has also come back from elbow, wrist and back injuries, along with tackling dartitis – a condition where players have a mental block when it comes to throwing on the stage.<\/p>\n
Missing out on qualification seals a miserable campaign for Van Gerwen, whose last nightly win came back in April 2024.<\/p>\n
The three-time world champion had seven victories and two runner-up spots from his previous 12 campaigns, with his last Premier League title in 2023.<\/p>\n
“This is probably one of the hardest Premier Leagues I have ever played in – not in terms of players, but in terms of myself,” Van Gerwen admitted.<\/p>\n
His cause was not helped when missing the ninth event of the season in Berlin with a shoulder injury sustained while trying to put a shirt on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n