Smith after continuing barren major run at World Darts Championship: "The next chance I get, I’ve got to take it"

Michael Smith continued his barren major run at the 2021/22 PDC World Darts Championship by failing to convert in the final against Peter Wright.

Speaking to Daily Star Sport, Smith discussed what his past few weeks since that disappointment has looked like.

"I stopped practicing after the final so I probably had off until the 10th (of January) off," Smith said to Daily Star Sport.

"I started to get back on it Monday to Friday with Ian White. On the weekends I’ve been fishing with my lads. I did an exhibition the other day to try and sharpen up and then I went back to fishing again."

"The day after I’m obviously gutted," he added. "But the day after, you can’t change it then. It’s happened. So you get to look at the positives.

"I played well in the tournament. I thought I played some really good darts when I had to and I held my nerve quite well. On a positive everything looked good but not on a positive I lost again in a final.

"I’ll keep going and I even told my kids after the final – I promised them – I will get one, I want to get you that."

Smith added that the doubt has now gone that he can achieve and its now up to him to do so with no time for dwelling on the past.

"After I lost the first final to Michael a couple of years ago, I started asking myself 'will I get another chance at a world title?' Three years later I got another chance.

"Now that doubt has gone from my head. I’m sat here talking to you and I could be thinking 'will I get another one?' That’s not going to enter my head now because I know I can get another chance, I know how well I can play.

"The less I dwell on things the better it is for me. I won’t drive myself crazy chasing one thing, because I know I’ve got the game and I know I’ve got the capability to do it. I'll just keep focusing and keep working hard."

He was also asked what he thinks the potential issue is and he says if he knew, he would have already claimed a major title as he would have put it right.

"If I knew what it was, I would have been a a multiple major winner now."

"I’ve just got to keep believing I’ll get another chance and another chance.

"The next time I do get a chance for a tournament, I’m going to have to take it. I think I’ve lost in eight or nine TV finals, but I’ve only had darts to win two of them. It’s not like I’ve blown it every single time I’ve been there. It’s just the other guy has been better than I have in the final. So the next chance I get, I’ve got to take it."