"I still don’t know what happened in Sindelfingen. Maybe somebody put something in my drink the night before" - Gurney banishes prior European Tour woes with fine showing in Graz

Last time out on the European Tour stage, Daryl Gurney had a match to forget. Still trying to place his finger on what happened in mid-April, he has made a triumphant return to the Austrian Darts Open, taking down Ian White 6-3 in a very respectable performance.

Averaging over 97 and pinning 67% of his doubles, Gurney was on a roll. He sailed into a 5-1 lead with a 102 checkout the pick of the bunch. That was topped by a fabulous 157 outshot to culminate events in majestic circumstances in Graz. He spoke to Dartsnews about his performance and upcoming plans and ambitions in darts. This tilted towards the major tournaments around the corner, including the World Cup of Darts.

"Ian is such a great competitor and he never, ever gives up. I played him earlier this year in Wieze and beat him 6–1, but I took out a really crucial finish in that match — I think it was a 118 on double 19 — which made the game look easier than it actually was," Gurney told Dartsnews. "Even though the result was 6–1, I knew tonight was always going to be much closer. When I went 5–1 up, I looked over and thought, 'Right, don’t let him off the hook.' But he played himself back into it.

"When I stepped up for that 157 finish, I told myself: “Whatever you do, don’t rush double top. Just throw it nicely.” And thankfully it went in. "’m just grateful to get a win after the last few European Tour events, where I haven’t won any money. I put myself under a lot of pressure in that game, but thankfully I came through."

Gurney has plateaued to an extent, finding a nice comfortable position in the rankings where he can qualify for all the big events but not making a huge impact in all of them. Now and again a dazzling performance emerges, but that can be overshadowed with a dismal display.

He believed that one deep run in a big event could be the turning point as he sets his ranking goals. "It’s frustrating because I feel like I’m one really good TV semi-final run away from breaking into the top 20. The reason I say that is because at the World Championship I’m always playing around December 23rd, which means I’ve got to get home for Christmas and it becomes a struggle.

"I frustrate myself because I wish I was more consistent and performed better on the European Tour. Clearly I’m qualifying for events like the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix, but if I could get to the latter stages more often, it would boost my ranking and push me closer to the top 20.

"Then I wouldn’t have to worry about qualifiers for things like the World Masters. I think about stupid things like that all the time. I really do feel like I’m one good run away, but I keep missing darts here and there — and that’s why I stay stuck between 23rd and 25th in the rankings."

The 40-year-old is eyeing up more consistency on the outer ring as he searches for a suitable level to compete with the best with the World Matchplay looming on the horizon.

"I feel like I’ve been consistent. I’ve been there or thereabouts. But when you actually look at the results, I keep winning two matches and then losing. That’s annoying because sometimes I feel like once I’ve won a couple of games, I get a little bit lazy — and I really don’t want to do that.

"I keep missing opportunities. I’m not talking about missing massive finishes either. I’ve lost a few games this year because I missed something simple, like a 25 finish, and then the other guy takes his chance and beats me 6–5. So it’s up to me now to stop missing those simple finishes. Hopefully I can improve as the year goes on because I really want to climb the rankings.

"The World Matchplay is just around the corner too. One of my dreams was to qualify for the Matchplay 10 years in a row. I think I achieved that last year, but I still don’t want to stop there. So yes, I’m consistent — but am I breaking records? No. Do I want to improve? One hundred percent."

When Gurney does not perform, it can get ugly. That was for show in a hugely bizarre matchup in the European Darts Grand Prix. Ending with an average of just 77.8, he came back from a 5-1 deficit against Oskar Lukasiak amid a whole bunch of missed doubles by the Swede before losing in a final-leg decider.

"Honestly, to this day I still don’t know what happened in Sindelfingen. Maybe somebody put something in my drink the night before," he joked. "I genuinely felt focused, but I just dismissed it afterwards because I got so frustrated with myself. The only positive was that I came back from 5–1 down to make it 5–5 and at least turned it into a match.

"But I was nowhere near my best and I deserved to lose. Oscar Lukasiak deserved that win. And with everything Oscar has gone through with dartitis and stuff like that, I was genuinely happy for him. So I’m glad to bounce back tonight. Ian White is a PDC legend and he’ll never give you an inch. Even at 5–1 up, I knew I hadn’t won anything yet."

In his pomp, 'Superchin' was a sight to behold. Winning two major titles in the form of the Players Championship Finals in 2017 World Grand Prix in 2018, the crowning jewel in his collection came last year in Frankfurt. Him and fellow countryman Josh Rock produced a stunning display to fend off everyone in their path, working with lots of chemistry enroute to lifting the title.

The excitement is already there for a return to the big stage. "I’m really looking forward to it. I honestly can’t wait for the Premier League to finish because Josh has had a tough time mentally knowing he can’t make the play-offs now.

"Once the Premier League is over, I think he’ll feel better. We’re both excited for the World Cup and can’t wait to get our shirts with the gold star on them. That’s going to be a proud moment for both of us. Hopefully Josh comes through his game tonight and then we’ll give each other a good kick up the backside before the World Cup starts again."

Thanks to gurney's wise words with a sprinkling of tactical genius the night before the World Cup began, him and Rock were able to power through and deliver Northern Ireland a maiden title in the tournament.

"Honestly, last year we prepared the night before. We were in the practice room with Luke Littler, his dad, and José, and Josh started talking tactics with me. I just looked at him and said: 'Josh, you smash the life out of that treble and whatever you leave me, I’ll finish.'

"That was basically our strategy — and I think it’s why we won the World Cup. So no real tactics this year either. If Josh has his scoring boots on and I’ve got my finishing boots on, we’ll be hard to beat. But last year we came in as underdogs and maybe people didn’t take us seriously. This year they definitely will, so it’s going to be even tougher."