“It would be good if me and Gary Anderson played each other in the final” – Ryan Searle starting to dream of practice partner showdown at Ally Pally

Ryan Searle continues to impress at the PDC World Darts Championship. After a commanding 4–0 win over James Hurrell, the Englishman booked his place in the quarter-finals without dropping a single set so far. For Searle, who has previously been labelled an underachiever at major tournaments, the run feels like confirmation of both his development and his growing mental strength.

“I was kind of expecting a bit more from James tonight,” Searle admitted, “but obviously it’s the most money he’s probably ever won in a tournament, the same as me as well. I felt like my experience showed in the end a little bit. I was kind of waiting for him, when I was two sets in, to kick into gear and really put me under pressure, but it didn’t quite happen for him.”

While Searle acknowledged that the performance did not feel perfect on stage, the numbers told a different story. A 100 average and a 50 percent success rate on the doubles underlined his control of the contest.

“If you’d told me before the match I’d average 100, I’d have ripped your arm off,” he said. “In the biggest game of my career, I’ll take it and look forward to the next one.”

Reaching the quarter-finals marks a significant milestone for Searle, his first televised quarter-final since the World Matchplay in 2023. He has been open about his frustration with past major results.

“Yeah, I do feel like a massive underachiever in majors,” he said. “But on the other hand, when you look at some of the draws I’ve had — Littler at the Matchplay, Price at the Grand Prix, Aspinall the year before — things like that happen. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Despite that, Searle believes he is now better equipped for the biggest occasions. “I feel like I’ve got a stronger mentality now and I’m ready for bigger matches,” he added.

Against Hurrell, Searle felt his experience was decisive. “I just wanted to put him under as much pressure as possible,” he explained. “I think my experience showed. He didn’t play to the best of his ability, but that can happen when you’re playing for this sort of ranking money. I’m really proud of how I played.”

Even after a dominant win, Searle remains highly self-critical. “I’m a perfectionist,” he said. “I could win 12 legs and hit 11 nine-darters and still be annoyed I didn’t hit 12. Everything has to be perfect for me, but in darts that doesn’t happen.”

An important factor in his recent form has been a switch of equipment. “I’ve only been using them for the last six or seven weeks,” Searle explained. “What I’ve been hitting in practice has been phenomenal. If I can replicate that on the match board, then I’ll be dangerous.”

His focus is now on consistently transferring that practice form onto the biggest stages. “I’ve actually been terrible on the Euro Tour this year,” he admitted. “But I feel like I’ve cracked something on the big stage now with my focus. I’m looking forward to the rest of this tournament and the start of next season.”

With his current form, Searle sees no reason to limit his ambitions. “If I can play the game I know I can play, there’s no reason why I can’t go the whole way,” he said. “If I didn’t believe that, there’d be no point in being here.”

Looking ahead to potential opponents, he remains pragmatic. “They’re both fantastic players on their day and I look forward to it,” he said of possible quarter-final clashes with Andreas Harrysson or Jonny Clayton.

A dream final against Gary Anderson or Luke Humphries also appeals. “It would be good if me and Gary played each other in a final, just because we practice together,” Searle said. “If not Gary, then Luke. Whoever it is, it’ll be cool. But we can’t look any further than the next game.”

Searle’s run has also pushed him back into the world top 16, where he feels he belongs. “Gary’s one of the best that’s ever thrown a dart,” he said. “If I can just keep building on what I’m doing, I’ll be happy.”

While he accepts that the prize money on offer at the World Championship can influence players’ schedules, his own approach will not change. “I like to play as much as I can,” he said. “If you want to stay sharp, you have to keep playing.”

On stage, Searle feels comfortable and grounded. And if he were to go all the way and lift the trophy? He remains characteristically understated. “I don’t know what I’d do,” he smiled. “I might wave to the crowd a little bit. Hopefully we find out one day.”