Michael Smith made his first walk-on as World Champion and World Number One at the Bahrain Darts Masters with a comfortable 6-1 win over Abdulnasser Yusuf.
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Smith spoke about the emotions post match to the PDC and one he hopes continues.
"Did you not see me on the walk-on I had goosebumps. It felt different but I enjoyed it, I enjoyed Johnny Mac shouting World Champion and World Number One, just got to hope it continues now," said Smith post match.
"I was a bit nervous up there because of that but I managed to find my feet, lost it and then found it again in that last leg."
Having an opponent that didn't bring too much to the table, he found himself struggling but believes that will be different against Dimitri van den Bergh.
"He didn't do much against me, I was struggling and he was still letting me off. I think 3-0 up I started to find it then. Maybe tomorrow (Friday) against Dimitri (van den Bergh) he will be up for it and will want to prove a point and I don't blame him. You want to compete and play the best players."
Speaking about the welcome he got from other players and the target now on his back, he said that he has received a great reception from those involved this weekend.
"Everyone here has won tournaments, you wouldn't be jealous I don't think. There's no reason to dislike someone for it. Everyone has been nice, I don't know if it's genuine or fake but a lot have been really genuine. I like it so I want to keep winning now."
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But he has now been set another goal by his wife Dagmara to bring home the trophy for their fireplace with it being solid gold. "You did the wrong thing putting the trophy on stage as my missus said that would look good in the living room. Under pressure now to win it as she wants that trophy more than I do. That would look really nice in the living room next to the fireplace."
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.
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