Meikle defies Ashton! Lisa Ashton fights back from 2-0 down, but loses the last set 3-0 as Ryan Meikle squeezes into the Second Round. #WCDarts | R1 📺 bit.ly/WC23Live
Meikle reveals Van Gerwen chat after Minehead built confidence: "I don't want to be known as a slow player"
PDCSunday, 18 December 2022 at 09:00
After surviving a Lisa Ashton fightback to successfully book his spot in round 2 of the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship, Ryan Meikle has revealed that a conversation with Michael van Gerwen gave him the self-belief he needed.
"MvG has helped me believe in myself," Meikle said. "I don't want to say too much but after Michael beat me in Minehead he told me a few things which I don't think I knew before but I needed to. A bit more confidence and I think it paid off tonight."
All that newfound self-confidence was needed from Meikle when Lisa Ashton came back from 2-0 down to force a deciding set. "She punished me for six/seven legs to get it back to 2 all. It was my own fault but I'm just lucky to come through."
During the match, Meikle had to deal with a partisan crowd in his opponents' favour, something that may well be the case again in round 2. Whilst some of the audience booed as he took his throw, Meikle admits it's the online abuse received that hurts most. "I take a lot of grief online being a bit slower than the other players," he says. "It is something I've tried to work on, not just for them but for me."
Making it into the 2nd round for the second consecutive year, Meikle will be hoping to go one step better than last year when he fell to a straight sets defeat to eventual champion Peter Wright. This time around it's former 5-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld who lies in wait for Meikle. "The next thing on my list is to win a second-round game in the Worlds." the Suffolk native says. "I want to be in at Christmas, make that Turkey taste a bit sweeter."
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- He has Guillerme Barre Syndrome. Nerve damage due to autoimmune response. Could take him months to recover if at all.medinabello23-12-2024
- I have a nickname for him Ni I man.medinabello23-12-2024
- C'MON HEMPS!!medinabello23-12-2024
- He looks very healthy. I doubt he can run or anything. You need carbs for that. Carbs fuel your brain also. It is the preferred energy source for the brain. Carbs get broken down into glycogen fuel for your muscles. As a rider I totally need carbs. However for a dart player who doesn't need a brain or be fit this diet is perfect.medinabello23-12-2024
- F the bettors. Mugs they are. Anyone could tell this is a 50 50 game or Hempel slight favourite going on form.medinabello23-12-2024
- Hard to play slow players. Does your head in.medinabello23-12-2024
- What do you mean again?medinabello23-12-2024
- Get his wife to work so that he can retire. Do the seniors tour, Modus, exbos. He'll still be doing alright.medinabello23-12-2024
- He used this kind of anger as motivation to get past this round. Next round he will revert to his usual form. 90 or below ave and a defeat.medinabello23-12-2024
- Once again Madhouse bottles it just like last year v Graf. Not sure why he's been brilliant all year. Definite similarities between this year and last though. He has to sort it out.medinabello23-12-2024