Not just still standing… I’m starting to climb!
Last week I wrote that a lot can change in seven days in darts – and so it proved! I have felt like I really needed a bit of luck and a deep run in one of these TV events to give me some momentum, and the European Championship certainly provided that. The bit of luck I needed was probably the challenges that Dirk van Duijvenbode had in our first-round tie where he was clearly struggling with injury and needed the help of a huge amount of Deep Heat.
That said, it really didn’t do me any favours as it was fiercely strong. I don’t know if it was shaking Dirk’s hand or just the fumes, but it got in my eyes and was burning like crazy. I don’t think I have ever taken my glasses off so many times in a match and it felt like I had been eating chillies.
READ MORE: Peter Wright fails to qualify for tournament days after becoming European champion
READ MORE: James Wade on hoping for a better end to 2023 and learning planets and podcasts
Sky Sports is bringing you 500 live football games to watch, as well access to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA and more across eight dedicated channels. Sky Sports is the only way to watch all the action this year.
£22 a month
Once that win was under my belt, I felt my confidence coming back and I started hitting big finishes at big moments. That was certainly the case in my game with Jose de Sousa where I hit him with three-figure check-outs every time he slipped up.
That set up a clash with Luke Humphries, an absolute class act who is going to win a lot of events. I have had some big battles recently with Luke with him finding some crazy averages (including one where he gave me a 6-0 thumping).
Who will win the Grand Slam of Darts? Tell us in the comments section below
In the build-up, Luke said some really nice things about me, including saying that he thought I was under-appreciated in darts. I have explained here that I find it difficult sometimes to have the flair and showmanship of some of the players because I am trying to keep an even keel on stage, but it was very kind of him to fly the flag for me.
It was a good game with Luke, which I was delighted to win. That gave me the chance to tackle MVG’s conqueror Gian van Veen. Even though he made a fast start and raced into a decent lead, I knew that if I kept up my standard and pressured him at some point, he would feel it, and that proved to be the case.
In the end, the final with Peter Wright was a game too far. Peter was the better player and fully deserving of the win. I was disappointed to fade like that but consoled by the fact that I was back in the Grand Slam, a tournament I really enjoy.
Having missed out on the event for the first time in as long as I can remember last year, I am keen to make up for lost time and also defending the ranking points I picked up two years ago when I reached the semi-final at Wolverhampton. I like the group format and once it gets into the knockout stages, the longer format games seem to really suit me.
I am also looking forward to giving a young fan his first experience of the darting arena. A good friend of mine lives in the Midlands and his son Jack is going to be cheering me on over the weekend, and hopefully acting as a good luck charm. Thanks as ever for the support and hopefully you’ll tune into the Grand Slam.
Take care,
Wadey
Source: Read Full Article
