Wade admits some top 10 players were upset with recent comments

James Wade managed to come out victor in his opening group stage match against Australian Damon Heta on Monday.

Wade spoke about his opening performance in his group-stage win over Damon Heta, where despite feeling although he hadn’t played his best, he made clear how important getting off to a good start in the group is.

“I am very happy to get the first few points on the board, it’s so important in the group stages that you start off well and I’m pleased to have done that today'', he told Online Darts.

“I’m happy to participate in most tournaments and I just want to make a show of myself. In the last three years, I haven’t done any damage at this tournament actually, so there is that to go on. I remember last year I won my group and was averaging 100 plus and then I lost to some bloke who, no respect, wasn’t great, but you know, we’ll see going forwards.

Wade insists that with the collection of brilliant darts players around now, the group stages don’t faze him and he can certainly go on and win it whilst repeating his comment made a few weeks ago that the top 10 aren’t as good as they once were.

“I’m not really bothered about the group. There are so many brilliant darts players about now that it makes me not worried about the players I face in the group stages. There’s loads of great players and you have to ask, who’s the weakest player in my group and I have to say it’s probably me or Jermaine (Wattimena) but look, I could easily win the group, that shows how darts can go either way at any time.”

“I would still go back to my comment that I made a few weeks ago where I explained that having so many good players now, it upsets a lot of the top ten players. I don’t mean it as a direct insult, but the top 10 is very weak at the moment. I can say it with confidence because the top 10 have all been stars at something and they’ve had their moment but I’m just being realistic when I say it’s not as strong as it was.”

With there being abnormal circumstances throughout darts this year, Wade reflected on how the change of scenery is affecting players in the dressing room but reiterates how thankful he is to still be earning money during this difficult time and being able to play on TV.

“It is disappointing to be honest. We’ve all talked about it many times and we all say at breakfast ‘oh it’s so gutting to not be playing in front of a crowd’ but half of the players moan when the crowd get on their back, so I’m very grateful that I’m still earning a living and still playing in front of a TV camera, which is magic.”