Smith on missing out on Premier League after Cullen UK Open win: "With the ten that's picked, five of them aren't as good as me"

Michael Smith came through his opening tie at the 2021 UK Open in an absolute thriller against Joe Cullen.

Going all the way to a decider, Smith came from 5-1 down to see off Cullen with an 11-darter in a decider.

"I don't think I can sum it up. I'm just over the moon that I won. It was just every leg we went at each other, on my throw I was doing 11 and 12 (Darters) and he was doing the same. The last leg I thought there's no more legs, I've got to do something now and luckily enough he let me in for the 41," said Smith post match.

He discussed current form and admitted he thought a repeat of the Super Series was coming towards the end.

"It was the Super Series last week. I lost three of them 6-5. I go 103 (average) and lost to an 85 and think how is this happening and same again I thought it was going to happen again."

But he is optimistic about this year after losing his World Championship money off his ranking and with a clean slate after the World Matchplay, he can build.

"I lost £185,000 clean off my rankings and I only went down four or five places and now I'm not defending until the Matchplay and then I've got nothing else to defend again. It's all first round losses. I know I'm not going to drop out of the top ten and I know I'll finish back in the top four by the end of the year."

Finally a lot was made of the Premier League line-up and for Smith, he believes he should have been in and that half the line-up aren't as good as him.

"I just relied on my laurels that I'd be in the Premier League. Even now with the ten that's picked, five of them aren't as good as me. I should be in but I'm not."