Ian White determined to get over lingering World Matchplay pain

Having missed five match darts, White watched his Matchplay ambitions crumble amid a stirring Stephen Bunting comeback. The Bullet came from 9-4 down to win a thrilling tie 14-12. PDC world number 10 White admitted post-match that he was devastated by the loss.

Speaking to Live Darts a couple of weeks on, the Stoke thrower is still pondering on his dramatic defeat.

"I'm still not over it. It was just a killer for me.

"I know I've got to get over it but it was just so annoying. I'm still gutted now," he admitted.

"I've been playing well all year, so going in to the tournament I was on the first page of the betting odds and that's never happened, so everyone must recognise what I've been doing in the last few months.

"I just thought that was my tournament, I really felt good.

"I thought that was my chance but it just didn't happen."

The pain may take longer than normal to subside. But White can fall back on the fact that his floor form has largely been excellent, and his season in the European Tour has been littered with success.

The key now, as it has been for a long time, is to take that form into the most prestigious tournaments in the game.

"I've had another semi-final and a quarter-final since on the floor.

"But I'm doing that quite regularly, so I just need these TV tournaments," said the Diamond.

"There's four European Tours coming up and hopefully I can do well in them.

"I've won two already this year and if I can win two more, it's like winning a major, because it's a hundred thousand pounds.

"So that's my aim.

"If I can win another two of them then that's really going to push me on.

"The second half of the year is where I usually fall down, so hopefully this year, if I can keep doing what I've done in the first half, then I should be quite comfortably in the top ten."