"I feel brilliant": Rob Cross gears up for busy period

It has been a whirlwind season already for the Hastings man. An introduction to the PDC's top table has meant increased action in the likes of the Premier League, the World Series and the Masters. Cross' form dipped early in the year, but the 27-year-old appears to be on the rise. Victory at the sealed his second tournament win of 2018, after Players Championship 13. The relief for Cross was more that he could take a well-earned rest before this weekend's German Darts Championship. "It's been busy - it's been good, obviously, the win in Brisbane was fantastic for me. It's just nice to come back and spend some time with the family," Cross said. "We'll make sure we're ready for Hildesheim next week."

While his 2018 schedule has looked packed already, Cross sees the coming months as the real crux of the campaign.
"Now, definitely, is the time to get ready," he asserted.
"Everything builds up to the Worlds, but even before that you've got some illustrious TV tournaments.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I need some big performances now, to focus on my game and try to get myself back to near my best. Like I played in Brisbane, but I still feel I can do better."

First up though is Hildesheim, and the next installment of the European Tour. Cross is among the Tour's significant list of fans, and will be aiming to reach his first European Tour final since the season-ending European Championships in 2017. "I'm looking forward to it! [European Tour events] are really important, they helped me last year to develop and get the TV game going. It helps you, it lets you know where your performances are." Asked if he was feeling good for the upcoming challenges, Cross replied: "I feel brilliant. "I feel a lot better in myself. There won't be any excuses going into the back end of the year - I'm either going to be good enough or I'm not going to be."