Jeff Smith reflects ahead of PDC World Championship return

Jeff Smith is back for his second consecutive tilt at the PDC World Championship.

Last year, the Canadian made his debut with one of the more impressive maiden legs in World Championship history. Smith struck a 170 checkout and went on to beat Luke Humphries, before Gary Anderson ended his run. Speaking to , the Silencer looked back at an enjoyable, yet taxing, experience. “Because I was at the Ally Pally for the first time, I was hoping to hit a double quickly. I didn’t expect it to be a 170 finish in the first leg!" Smith said. “I struggled with the long break between my matches. It’s hard to take pictures and interviews for one game, let alone to play a second game." The has big stage experience to call back on. In 2016, he reached the final of the BDO World Championship, eventually losing to Scott Waites at the Lakeside. “Lakeside was a great opportunity for me. I showed myself as a good player, I made a lot of fans and a lot of great friends. The previous year I got a lot of confidence by reaching the semi-finals. It showed I could really make it at the top of the game. “I was very satisfied with reaching the final of Lakeside in 2016, though wasn’t happy about how I played in the final. I had many opportunities in that contest, which I took in the tournament but not in the final. Unfortunately, my preparation wasn’t the best and I lacked energy." Smith will be looking to muster that energy for the PDC World Championship run, starting against Josh Payne. The 43-year-old believes that he can cause a stir in London if he's on his game. "If I play like I can, then I have every chance to win," said Smith. "I would like to just be on top of my ability to play and get the results.”

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