"It's time to change our lives" - After wife's recent battle with illness, Martin Lukeman dreaming of UK Open glory

For just the second time in his career, Martin Lukeman secured passage to a major TV quarter-final on Saturday night at the 2024 UK Open in Minehead.

In the last 16, Lukeman very impressively dispatched the in-form Gary Anderson 10-5, averaging 100.33 to Anderson's 102.57. "He was an absolute gentleman," Lukeman says of his opponent. "He knows how to play a game of darts Gary. He just gets on there, throws and has a good game."

In his only previous major TV quarter-final, Lukeman came unstuck at the 2022 World Grand Prix against Nathan Aspinall. This time around, Dimitri Van den Bergh will be the opponent for 'Smash'. "I'm here, I'm up for a battle and I'm a dodgy draw for people and they know that," he says.

Lukeman has also been going through struggles in his personal life recently, with his wife battling illness. Thankfully though, she is now doing much better. "I'm focused now I know my wife's good, so I'm up for this. It's time to change our lives."