RELIEF FOR BULLY BOY! Michael Smith battles back from 2-1 down to beat Kevin Doets 3-2! Listen to that roar from the reigning champ after the winning dart! 📺 bit.ly/24WCLive #WCDarts | R2
"People were saying he wasn't playing well enough to retain it. That is playing well enough" - Wayne Mardle believes Michael Smith will have silenced some doubters with epic opening round win
PDCSaturday, 16 December 2023 at 13:00
The 2024 World Darts Championship is underway and despite surviving a scare in his opening tie against Kevin Doets, Michael Smith got the defence of his crown off to a winning start.
One person in particular who was impressed by the performance of Smith, was ex-pro turned analyst, Wayne Mardle. "Since being world champ things haven't gone his way, he hasn't played that great, but now he's on the stage of his greatest victory playing like that, he's a runner again. He's got a bona fide chance again," insists Hawaii 501.
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Taken to a deciding set by the Dutch debutant, Smith needed all of his experience to survive with his World Championship hopes still in tact. A quiet year since becoming world champion had led some to doubt Smith, according to Mardle however, no one should be doubting after that performance.
"People were saying he wasn't playing well enough to retain it. That is playing well enough. If he plays like that for the duration, that is Championship winning form. 100+ average, pushed to the absolute hilt by someone who's world class, that was a brilliant performance," Mardle explains. "Michael Smith dealt with everything there when the pressure was on. This was his opening game, he's never been reigning champion before, so returning to do that, I'm in awe of him!"
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- Well done Mike – good to move on and look to the future. With his talent, and increasing confidence on stage, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the month ahead.
UndartedWaters22-11-2024 - It's called talent and good on him.medinabello21-11-2024
- There are 30 Players Championship rounds to play first throughout the year and you have to be in the top 64 to get to the finals. This is probably the hardest Major to win as its the top 128 players at each event or the top ranked Challenge Tour players if any tour card holders drop out.Mysstree20-11-2024
- So the winner of this 4 day event just gets $30k less than the winner of the Grand Slam which is played over 9 days?medinabello20-11-2024
- If John McDonald is doing Kirk Bevins job, then just give him the mic & save 1 pay packet.Cameron.W19-11-2024