Smith spoke afterwards and was relieved to face Ratajski compared to his potential of Mensur Suljovic who would have received massive support in front of a packed Salzburgarena on home soil.
"I'm feeling good," said Smith. "It was a bit of a struggle but I managed to keep my cool and finally get there in the end."
"I was glad I played Ratajski because it was Mensur either so I knew it was a bigger crowd today especially being in Austria. I wanted to play Ratajski and I knew he may have been thinking about the World Matchplay, same with Mensur."
"I didn't want to play Mensur in front of the Austrian crowd, that would have been stupid."
Smith didn't have the best Autumn Series going out early on most days but for him, his runs on TV matter the most.
"I didn't have the best Summer Series either but I went to the World Matchplay and I didn't play well but I played half decent and it took Gary (Anderson) something special to beat me but it's one of them, I get on with it."
"From about three years ago when I was rubbish, I'm starting to step up on TV now; I'm making Quarters and semi's in more or less all the TV Tournaments."
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Also he reflected on Michael van Gerwen heading out and even if he wins this weekend, it won't be the same as a title win where he'd beat the World Number One.
"I want to play Van Gerwen. I want to win tournaments when he's left in it. Same as when Phil was around, you've not won a tournament unless you've beat Phil in it and it's the same thing with Michael, you've not won until you've beat him as well."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.