"We need a bit of luck": Mensur Suljovic assesses Austria's PDC World Cup of Darts chances

Mensur Suljovic has another chance to lead Austria to PDC World Cup of Darts success.

The Gentle is one of the few remaining ever-presents at the World Cup of Darts. It hasn't been a success so far for Austria; they have never got past the quarter-finals. Last year, Suljovic and partner Zoran Lerchbacher suffered a shock defeat to Japan, as the Europeans were the only seeded duo to exit at the first round stage. They're pairing up again, and first up for them in 2019 is Russia. The draw means that Austria could be in for a quarter-final against England for the third time - they've lost the last two. Speaking with , Suljovic was cautious about his nation's chances. "As always, it’s an honour to play for my country. Anything is possible, however, we need a bit of luck on our side. There’s a lot of good quality teams," he said.

Slight advantage

Suljovic counts himself among the World Cup of Darts fans, and reckons that his past gives him a certain edge over other players.
"I played a lot of doubles in my soft tip days so it’s possibly an a slight advantage for ex soft-tip players. But either is OK for me.
"It’s an unusual tournament, I love that there’s so many different countries involved. Hopefully it grows in the coming years and more countries try and take part," the world number eight added.

Favourites

England and the Netherlands are the only two nations to have won the event. Both face a shake-up this year, with Michael Smith and Jermaine Wattimena replacing Dave Chisnall and Raymond van Barneveld respectively. Will it make a difference to either? No, according to Suljovic. "No it won’t make a difference at all, especially for those two," the Gentle pointed out. "Holland has Jermaine, and England Michael Smith, both world class players to pick. Both teams will still be the favourites for the tournament."