"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

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.

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!"