"I put too much pressure on myself": Brian Raman says one factor cost him PDC Tour Card after opening Lakeside account

Brian Raman made use of the short sharp format in the opening rounds at the 2024 WDF Lakeside World Championship to come from a set down not to panic and defeat Corne´ Groeneveld 2-1 and now faces Martyn Turner.

Raman has to handle different pressure and perhaps pressure off this time around as he goes from the hunted to the hunter not as the WDF World Number One anymore and that perhaps gives him more freedom to play his game.

"I'm just really happy because I didn't feel like I played really well. It was a struggle all the way through, I was so nervous because it's the opening game of the tournament. It's so difficult to start a tournament," said Raman to Tungsten Tales.

"If this was two years ago when I was Number One, I wouldn't care but I'm not at my best. I'm trying to get to my best again but to win this game is just amazing. I know Corne´ very well, he's a quality player and I am so fortunate he missed 107 on double 18."

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"I don't know what he (Corne´) has been doing after he qualified for Lakeside. He was playing phenomenal when he won the Antwerp Open, when he was playing the semi-final of the Brugge Open and the semi-finals of the World Masters. I knew it was going to be a very tough task. But he played so well, I was just lucky that maybe his experience is not as good as mine."

While he spoke about the pressure that came from Belgian darts and one that saw him lose his Tour Card by his own admission.

"It was very difficult because I was Number One in the WDF so people expect very big things from you especially with the way darts is in Belgium at the moment. It's so big and people expect too much from you. I put too much pressure on myself and that's what cost me my Tour Card."