Wade reflects on US Darts Masters campaign: “I over practised in my eagerness to do well”

Just as James Wade returns home, he is back on another flight to Copenhagen but he still had time to recount his US Darts Masters campaign as part of his Daily Star column.

“I am back from my American adventure. It feels like I have barely touched down on UK soil but I am getting my passport out again and heading to Copenhagen for the next leg of the Masters Series. From there I will head to Berlin for the Premier League finals night and then making my way to Frankfurt for the World Cup of Darts, via a quick stop in Niedernhausen for two days of floor tournaments! New York was certainly an unusual experience,” he said to Daily Star.

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He spoke about the commitments he has while in the Big Apple. “We have media commitments for the PDC, helping to promote the event and build awareness of the sport for the US audience. We do interviews in some central New York venues and it’s amazing to see footage and quotes on big screens in Times Square.

“We head out on the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, bump into a few Disney and Marvel characters and even took in a New York Yankees baseball game which was great, although very long.”

As well as his campaign which he was disappointed with in the end. “My first match goes well and I win 6-2 against Canadian number one Jeff Smith, hitting 100 per cent of my doubles during the match.”

“A disappointing end to the event for me as I lose 8-3 to Michael Van Gerwen and never get going. I need to feel relaxed and clear-headed to thrive and tonight I feel unsettled. I didn’t realise the format had changed to first to eight (I thought it was still six at this stage) and I over practised in my eagerness to do well. Lesson learned and it won’t happen again.”