"I'm feeling more confident than ever before" - Mike De Decker chases second major title

Mike De Decker completely broke through this year by winning the World Grand Prix. On his way to the final of that tournament, he saw off top players like Gary Anderson and James Wade.

In the final of that tournament, he then put the icing on the cake by winning 6-4 over world number one Luke Humphries. However, the 28-year-old Belgian does not want to rest on his laurels and is ready for a brilliant performance at the Grand Slam of Darts.

De Decker has now climbed to 25th in the world rankings due to his exploits. Moreover, at the Grand Slam of Darts, he has no prize money to defend from the two previous editions. 'The Real Deal,' who used to have a hard time performing on the big stages, has completely shaken off that stage fright and is ready for more success after his final victory at the World Grand Prix. Starting next weekend in Wolverhampton.

“I’m feeling more confident than ever before,” insisted De Decker, who also claimed a first PDC ProTour title back in August.

“Winning the World Grand Prix gave me the belief that I can perform on the big stage, so hopefully I can do the same during the Grand Slam. I believe if I can bring my floor game entirely into TV tournaments then I can be very dangerous.”

The Grand Slam of Darts traditionally begins with a group stage and De Decker has been placed in a group with also Michael Smith, Jermaine Wattimena and Mensur Suljovic. The top 2 of each group qualifies for the knockout phase of the tournament.

“I think what makes the tournament so special is how open it is with the group stages,” continued De Decker, currently ranked 25th on the PDC Order of Merit.

“It’s such a short format with [games being] first to five legs, which means it’s easier for upsets to happen. There aren’t any easy draws anymore, and all the players in this tournament are very talented.

“I will have to be at my best to get through the group, but I’m looking forward to the challenge!”

De Decker begins his tournament on Saturday, Nov. 9, with a match against Wattimena. The other two group matches will follow in the following days.