“I didn’t feel comfortable at all” – Jim Long comes up short in North American Darts Championship final

Jim Long has once again missed out on the North American Darts Championship title. The Canadian Tour Card holder lost Friday’s final to Adam Sevada, who claimed the biggest title of his career with a convincing 6-1 victory. For Long, it marked a second consecutive lost final at the tournament featuring North America’s best darters.

Despite the disappointment, the Canadian delivered another strong tournament in New York. He reached the final with wins over Brayden Hall and Fred Krueger. His semifinal in particular demanded everything from Long, who survived a match dart from Krueger before ultimately sealing the decisive win.

A day earlier, Long had already produced one of the biggest surprises at the US Darts Masters by eliminating Premier League start Josh Rock 6-4 in the opening round. It once again underlined how comfortable he feels on the Madison Square Garden stage.

Even so, he was unable to crown his strong run with the North American Darts Championship title. Afterward, Long was frank in assessing the lost final and the missed opportunity to get his hands on some silverware. “Today was a tough day for me. I didn’t feel comfortable at all,” the Canadian admitted during the post-match trophy presentation afterwards.

According to Long, the North American Darts Championship actually brought more tension than his matches against the absolute elite during the US Darts Masters. “It’s funny how this event can bring so much more pressure than playing the top eight players in the world," explained the PDC Tour Card holder.

Long said that extra pressure also showed in his game. Against Sevada, he never reached his usual level, while the American enjoyed one of his best days of the year to take the title. “I didn’t perform well enough and that’s it," Long concluded emphatically. "I’m disappointed without a doubt.”