"I'm sure he's enjoying his holiday and I hope he is!" - Rob Cross relieved Gerwyn Price is absent from Poland Darts Masters after recent World Series rivalry

Rob Cross remains on course for a third consecutive final on the World Series of Darts circuit. 'Voltage' defeated home player Sebastian Bialecki 6-1 in the opening round of the Poland Darts Masters.

Cross had no trouble putting Sebastian Bialecki on the rack. He broke his Polish opponent immediately in the first leg with a 156 finish and then ran out to a 4-0 lead with a 75 check-out. Cross then missed one chance at 5-0, before Bialecki scored with a 16-darter to make it 4-1. The sixth leg was the least of the match. First there were three misses on the doubles by Cross and then two by Bialecki. It was 'Voltage' who managed to make it 5-1 with a 20-darter. Then the former world champion closed the match with a 100 finish.

Despite the relatively easy win, Cross still had plenty of praise for his young opponent afterwards. "I believe it flattered me a bit," he assessed in his post-match interview. "All of a sudden I was 4-0 up and cruising. I'm not the biggest or best practiser in the world so I was a bit under par. But to get the finishes and get the win, I'm very happy with that."

Cross has had some particularly successful weeks of late. He won the US Darts Masters and reached the final at the Nordic Darts Masters last weekend. Both finals he played against Gerwyn Price. "I'm sure he's enjoying his holiday and I hope he is!" Cross laughs. "Gezzy deserved that win last week. He was the best player in the tournament."

Cross takes on fellow Englishman Stephen Bunting later this Saturday night in the quarterfinals of the Poland Darts Masters. Booking his spot in the last eight, Bunting was far too strong for Polish number one Krzysztof Ratajski in the opening round, winning 6-1.