MICHAEL VAN GERWEN’s awful form continued as he was dumped out of the latest Players Championship in round one by the world No.111. Holland’s three-time world champion – who lost to Luke Littler in the recent Ally Pally final – averaged just 89.91 in a shock 6-3 loss to German Niko Springer. Van Gerwen, 35, is the highest-ranked player in Hildesheim for ProTours 7-8 this week with Luke Humphries and Littler both missing. But this surprise defeat means he will have earned ZERO cash for turning up on Monday. Only those involved in the Last 64 of the Player Championship events get £1,000 for their troubles. Yet his dreadful run continued as he went down in 15 minutes. He was averaging an astonishing 61.38 in a messy first leg. There was a time when the sight of his famous green shirt would strike fear into the eyes of his opponents but not any longer. In the eight-man Premier League Van Gerwen has 10 points and is in fourth place. But he has yet to make a weekly final. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS He has won just five of his 11 games so far in the competition. The next event goes to Cardiff on Thursday night.