Gary Anderson did make it to Specsavers and also made it into the Quarter-Finals of the Grand Slam of Darts where he will face off against rising Dutchman, Gian van Veen.
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Anderson took down Stephen Bunting 10-6 storming into an 8-2 lead with a 114 and 120 checkout. But he soon encountered a comeback attempt from Bunting who gave it his all in the pursuit of returning to the foray but in the end, the Scot prevailed.
"I thought it was scrappy from me and Stephen. He missed a lot of darts in the first 10 legs. I think it's why it ended up 8-2, it was one of these games," said Anderson to Online Darts.
"But I want the floor tournaments, that's what I want. First game was great that's how I've been playing and it's gone drastically down hill since. Every game is always different so you've just got to try."
"I've been doing this for 30 year, so I know what it's like to miss doubles. I've lost a lot of tournaments missing doubles. My very first night I took out 121, I was settled. Tonight no I knew my doubles weren't going well and Stephen's were just as bad."
He lavished praise on Van Veen before not realising that he has to play an even further increased format in the next round.
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"You never start well, it only gets worse. Hopefully come Saturday he'll be on a 63 average and we will be alright," he joked. "The boys good, there's so many coming through nowadays and there's going to be a big change in the rankings very shortly."
"What it's up to 31? I might be in trouble. These young boys play darts 24/7, they're always on the board so 31 legs to them is not a problem. Might be a problem for the older boys but."
Specsavers trip and De Decker woe
Anderson was also asked about his trip to Specsavers that was banded around prior to his match and said that it actually made it worse in terms of hitting the treble but that his blurred vision is gone.
"I did and I could see the actual treble great. It's made it all the worse. I think I played better when I couldn't see it. This morning, quick tweak, and they're bang on now. No blurred vision or anything like that."
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Before giving an anecdote about a young Benito van de Pas in relation to Gian van Veen calling him his hero. Albeit Anderson doubted the validity of it saying that he hadn't heard Van Veen utter those words so couldn't comment.
"It makes you feel old. Many years ago I got a photo with Benito van de Pas. A woman came up to me says can you remember that photo. I'm standing next to this little boy getting a photo taken and it's Benito. He's been absolutely mustard this tournament."
But what he could comment on was Mike de Decker's whistle laden defeat to Luke Littler and he said he will want to put it right in Minehead praising the World Grand Prix champion in the process.
"Mikey should've won that. I think Luke will tell you the same. He'll be absolutely fuming tonight and tomorrow and the next all the way up to Minehead and he will be wanting to make it right. Talk about Littler, but Mike de Decker that boy's good."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.