"He has a lot of fans, but the monster is coming!" - Leonard Gates sends warning to Nathan Aspinall ahead of World Darts Championship meeting
PDC
Later tonight, Leonard Gates returns to the Alexandra Palace stage for his second round battle with Nathan Aspinall. Despite not showing his very best stuff in defeating Cameron Menzies in an emotion-fuelled contest in the first round, Gates is high on confidence.
"It's a wonderful feeling to come back and get through my first round," Gates tells the PDC. "The energy and the atmosphere is possibly even better than when I was here last time. It's phenomenal. I really can't explain what the support means. You can feel that energy in your body, and that's a great motivation for me."
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The 54-year-old first appeared at the Alexandra for the 2023 edition, giving Stephen Bunting a test before losing out in the second round. Since then, he's cleaned up on titles in North America and on the Seniors Tour. Gates is well aware though, that against two-time major winner Aspinall, he will probably have to up his level from the 82.96 average he showed in his opening round victory.
"I think I've improved greatly over the last few years," he insists confidently. "My performance against [Cameron] doesn't show what I've done back home in the States. I'm on a roll, everybody is telling me I'm on a roll, and I want to keep it that way. It's like a snowball rolling down a hill, it builds and builds and builds."
'Soulger' has also become a crowd favourite at the Alexandra Palace, but against Aspinall he faces one of the best supported players on Tour. "I'm just going to focus and play my game, because I definitely know what Nathan can do, and if you lose focus, he will destroy you," Gates previews. "Nathan has a lot of backing. He has a lot of fans, but the monster is coming!"
🗣️ "I know what Nathan can do, and if you lose focus, he will destroy you."
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 18, 2024
Leonard Gates is relishing his second round showdown against Nathan Aspinall at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship tonight...
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- More roid rage than nonsenserichieburnettrocks18-12-2024
- Even the wild crowd went easy on him... we really have gone soft in this country. He should now play in the men's events and try and recover a smidgen of respect, rather than take advantage of the women's game.MrYnyslas197118-12-2024
- The bloke wouldn't get any abuse if he just earned his way in instead of putting on lipstick and larping as a bird.thebogeyman17-12-2024
- Imagine what he'd be like if he done it on TV.medinabello15-12-2024
- Moot point Wattemina will beat him anyways so he will have an early Xmas after all.medinabello15-12-2024
- Grow up mate it's a game of darts surely a player has the capacity to play more than 1 best of 5 set match in one evening.medinabello15-12-2024
- Modus will be good for him. Great comp.medinabello15-12-2024
- I'm with Asp here. If they moan about it don't pick them. Simple as.medinabello15-12-2024
- We don't need the Saudi's money and prohibitive laws. Simply take the World's to other countries like Germany, Holland, Scotland, Poland, Belgium. Not only will you get sell out crowds with bigger venues but it will also freshen up the comp a bit. Let's face it Ally Pally is getting a bit boring now. Imagine 10,000 in Berlin, Rotterdam, Brussels etc.medinabello15-12-2024
- Am probably going to be in a small minority, i would not miss the walk ons, best part used to be the lovely ladies which obviously now makes me a misogynist. Its all part of the razzamatazz show business side and its not that long so not something that winds me up however some of the walk on choices are abysmal while some work, MVG and Seven Nation Army being an example. Dimi the Dancer is / was just awful and Peter Wrights is old hat now.Mysstree14-12-2024