James Wade is rolling back the years at the 2024 World Matchplay in Blackpool. For the first time since 2015, "The Machine" is into the semi-finals at the prestigious tournament held annually at the iconic Winter Gardens, a tournament he won in 2007.
As such, the left-handed dart player is just two wins away from his first major title since 2021. For more than two years after that, Wade hardly posted any good results at televised tournaments, but at the end of 2023, the Englishman asserted himself again, including a final spot at the European Championship and reaching the semi-finals at the Grand Slam of Darts.
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“I had pancreatitis and I wasn’t very well for a long, long, time,” the 10-time major winner revealed in conversation with the PDC. "I was really poorly and I accept that now. My own personal health and family comes before this game. I’ve just started to come through that. Life has changed for me a lot, so don’t think that because I’m not doing what I have done [in the past], it’s because James Wade can’t play darts anymore.”
Wade started the World Matchplay as number 22 in the world, but has virtually climbed back up to 18th place. On Saturday night, "The Machine" will play Luke Humphries in the semi-finals. A win over the world champion will see Wade back into the world's top-16 at 14th place.
“In my opinion I should be in the top ten,” Wade stated. “There’s lots of people that think other players are more capable than me. I don’t think they are. I think I can do the job. Unless I’m inside that top ten I feel like I’m underachieving, but there are some great dart players about now.”
One of those great darters is Humphries, his upcoming opponent. The world number one and world champion already managed to throw an average of well over 100 three times during the 2024 World Matchplay.
“Luke Humphries is a world class player. He’s a World Champion and he just plays darts,” reflected Wade. “It’s going to be a hard game, but if I play as well as I did against Ross Smith, I probably won’t be that far away. Nobody will want to play me after I’ve played like that, and I didn’t play my best darts, not by a mile. It was a magical feeling lifting this title, and hopefully I can do it again!”
🗣️ "There’s lots of people that think other players are more capable than me. I don’t think they are." James Wade has issued a defiant message ahead of tonight's semi-final clash against Luke Humphries at the @Betfred World Matchplay! 📝 bit.ly/Wade24WM
