Anderson on lack of BDO representation at Grand Slam: "They used to just come along for a quick payday, cut them off"

Gary Anderson eased past a struggling Joe Davis on the opening night of action at the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts and next up will be Michael Smith.

Davis was visibly struggling with tennis elbow and Anderson said that didn't aid his cause.

"I know Joe's been struggling all day, I think he's got the golfer's elbow. I've had the tennis elbow and I know what it's like and it's hellish. I watched him throwing darts, I went he's going to struggle up there, I don't think that helped me," said Anderson post match.

"I've never played Joe, the other two (Smith and Van Barneveld) I've played many times so I know what it's all about. With Joe I didn't know what to expect, I knew he had a bad elbow. He's struggling to throw darts up there."

He was also asked for his thoughts on Raymond van Barneveld's U-turn from retirement and his subsequent return to the Grand Slam.

"You know my saying I think when you retire, you retire. If you stop playing and have a bit of a break and you come back fair dues. But once you mention you retire, that's you done."

As well as giving a scathing assessment about the end of the amateur representation in the form of the BDO and that they should have been cut off.

"They got away with a few years longer than what they should have done. They were offered many years ago with Barry and they kind of snubbed his hand. They used to just come along for a quick payday and that's all they were. They had the choice to come and play the PDC, they didn't want it so no, cut them off quite right."