Rob Cross enjoying home comforts ahead of Champions League debut

It has been a very short journey to the Champions League of Darts for Rob Cross - in more ways than one.

The 27-year-old burst onto the scene spectacularly in 2017. A stunning run of form culminating in Cross winning the PDC World Championship at the very first attempt. That success lifted him to third in the Order of Merit, a position he has maintained since his Ally Pally triumph. The world number three therefore qualifies for the Champions League. This tournament brings the top eight in the Order of Merit together for a weekend of action. A bonus for Cross is that the 2018 event will be , just a short trip from his home in Hastings on the East Sussex coast. "To have a tournament only an hour away is going to be amazing," Cross told The Argus. "There isn’t a five or six hour travel. I’ve got a lot of friends who will be coming to watch me. “It’s the closest one for me in the calender, so to be here is going to be a privilege." Voltage faces a tough test in Group B. His opponents are world number two Peter Wright, Grand Prix finalist Simon Whitlock and the current holder of the Champions League crown, Mensur Suljovic. “You’ve got the eight best players in the world fighting it out. The standard that should be played will be phenomenal,” he said.