Michael Smith had a rough start at the New Zealand Darts Masters last week with 6-5 victories over Darren Penhall and Damon Heta.
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In the semifinal match, the world number one played a lot better. Still, despite an average of 107, he lost 7-3 to Nathan Aspinall, who in turn recorded a moyenne of 110 per turn. Smith hopes to win a World Series tournament for the fourth time in his career this weekend in Australia.
“I’m trying too hard to play like a World Champion and a world number one,” conceded Smith, a winner at the inaugural Bahrain Darts Masters in January. “I’m putting too much pressure on myself, but I’ve never had to experience anything like this before.
With a title in Australia, Smith could work confidently toward the important part of the season with all the major television tournaments.
“It’s a learning curve, it’s a new experience, but I know I’ll get over it. I know I can win these events, I’ve won three of them before and I know what I can do," he concluded. “I’m always looking forward to playing darts. As long as I’m confident and I’m in a good place, I believe I can win anything.”
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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