“I feel like I lost" - Ross Smith highly self-critical despite setting up showdown with Luke Littler at Players Championship Finals

The Players Championship Finals started for Ross Smith with a match he himself would probably describe as one long slog. But despite a flat performance, there’s still a “W” next to his name — and that, according to Smith, is all that matters at this stage.

The Englishman, who recently needed some rest and distance from the relentless schedule, hopes this sticky but significant victory can be a springboard towards a stronger end to the darts year.

There was visible relief from Smith after his opening match. His game was far from sparkling, but in the moment, it hardly bothered him. “Yeah, without a shadow of a doubt… the big W is the most important thing at the end of the day. You can’t improve if you’re out. You can improve if you’re in.”

Smith had spoken to Brendan Dolan shortly before the game and already sensed it might not be a smooth evening. But a win is a win — and for him, that was enough.

One striking part of Smith’s preparation was his stay in Dubai beforehand — a sharp contrast to the grey chill of Minehead. “I literally got off the plane in shorts. I did pack a jumper — a hoodie — for when I got off. But yeah, it felt like I was coming into Finland or something. Unbelievable.”

That Dubai trip, though, was absolutely necessary. “Yeah, without a doubt. I just needed to get away. I had a lot going on personally, and the schedule’s really busy. Obviously, not qualifying for the Grand Slam, I took the opportunity to say, ‘You know what? I’m just going to go away, try and get a bit of sun.’ Vitamin C is vitamin C, it gives you a boost, doesn’t it? So I thought, get away, have ten days in Dubai, and I loved every minute of it.”

Smith was originally set to face a different opponent, but ended up playing Ryan Meikle at short notice. At elite level, that can disrupt the mental preparation. “Yeah, it does change slightly, because you do sometimes play the player and sometimes you play the board. It’s a very complicated game in your head.”

He knows Meikle well. “Ryan’s a fantastic player. I’ve played him many times and known him a long time. Same thing for him, though — I know if I don’t turn up, usually you lose. We both struggled up there today. But that’s darts. That’s sport. That’s life. Sometimes it just doesn’t go for you.”

Despite the win, Smith admitted he felt strangely flat afterwards. “Even sat here now, I feel like I lost in a way because of my performance.”

But he also stressed that Meikle’s struggles didn’t reflect his true level. “He’s an absolutely incredible player. He played really well against Luke Littler at the Worlds and just missed a few doubles. He’s a class act.”

One of the most memorable moments came when Smith tried to lift the mood in the arena. The match was sluggish, both players were off-colour, and Smith decided the crowd needed something to wake them up.

Normally he keeps his emotions under wraps. This time, not so much. “Honestly, mate, I swear to God, we were playing that bad I just thought, ‘I need to do something here.’ I couldn’t carry on like that. I just wanted something to gee me up.”

He never believed for a second the 170 was actually going in. “I didn’t think I was going to hit it in a million years. I genuinely didn’t. I even thought, ‘Should I do a Dave Pallett and give it the big ’un and then go for a big 18?’ But no. It was just dead up there. We were playing so bad… and that’s never a dig at Ryan. He’d admit he didn’t play anywhere near where he can. I just thought, ‘Come on, let’s get something going.’ And yeah… it was miles away.”

Small moment, big impact — it reminded him briefly that the stage can still be enjoyable.

Smith’s need for a break becomes obvious when you hear him describe the hectic period he’s endured. Constant travelling, constant playing, constant pressure. “Dubai gave me that,” he said of the chance to reset.

The mental side is still a work in progress. “I feel like I lost my game,” he admitted earlier in the press conference. “But today was still a win. And that’s the first step.”

What sets Smith apart is his blunt honesty. He never hides behind excuses. “Today was bad,” he said in so many words. “But I’m through. And now I can improve.”

He also pointed out that both players were in the same boat. It simply wasn’t the level either man can produce. But that, he reminded, is part of the sport: you deal with the bad days by playing on.

Sometimes an ugly win means more than a pretty defeat. For Smith, this was definitely one of those nights. The match wasn’t a statement, nor a show of top form, nor anything close to perfect execution — but it was a mental victory.

The coming rounds will reveal whether this tough start becomes a turning point. But one thing is clear: Smith isn’t done with this tournament by any stretch. Or as he himself put it: “You can’t improve if you’re out. And I’m still here.”