"Hopefully I'll dig myself out of that hole and not end up like Nathan Aspinall or Peter Wright" - Rob Cross determined to not miss out on Players Championship Finals

Rob Cross narrowly qualified for the quarter-finals of the New Zealand Darts Masters on Friday. 'Voltage', like last week at the Australian Darts Masters, won 6-5 over Haupai Puha in the opening round.

“Haupai played brilliantly on his own throw. He was clinical,” Cross reflects afterwards in his post-match interview. “I was thinking I needed to sneak a 12-darter in that last leg if I wanted to get through, but I got a little bit fortunate in the end."

Cross is quietly yearning for home though, despite enjoying his place on the World Series throughout 2024. "It was a long trip and you're away from your family for a long time anyway. That's not always easy, although I know it's part of the job," he explains. "It is fantastic to be part of the World Series, and I’ve got to pour everything into tomorrow now, where hopefully I will play a bit better.”

Cross cited it earlier, he is away from home a lot and that makes him have to make choices sometimes. "I've not really played a lot this year on the Pro Tours, I've been enjoying the stage and it's been working for me," he explains, noting how because of that, his place at the Players Championship Finals is far from secured. "I didn't want to put myself in this position. Hopefully I'll dig myself out of that hole and not end up like Nathan Aspinall or Peter Wright," he concludes, referring to the two big name absentees of last year's Players Championship Finals.