‘I’ll get a Santa go well with at Christmas however hopefully my thoughts shall be on Ally Pally’
JAMES WADE COLUMN: While most of us will be tucking into our turkey and relaxing on Christmas Day, the world’s best darts players will be in competition mode as things ramp up at Ally Pally
Merry Christmas! I’m saying that because now I’m going to get down to business.
Hopefully, there won’t be any Christmas celebrations in my household, as I am focused on winning what would be the World Championships! It’s a strange time of year for darts players. Normally, it’s all about the first round, second round, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals—sometimes all in the same day.
For instance, last week, I played the last 32 on Friday, followed by the last 16 on Saturday during lunchtime, and then the evening session. On Sunday, it was a full day of quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals, all in just a matter of hours. The World Championships are nothing like that!
Sometimes you play the first round on December 14 or 15, and if you win, your second round can be in two weeks’ time! It’s an anxious time, really.
Although, in hindsight, I’d much rather feel anxious about going to the Ally Pally again than stew over losing in the first round! I’m joking about the Christmas celebrations.
As for my sons Arthur and Alfie, I’m going to get my Santa costume again, and there’s really no time to dwell on darts. Of course, I’ll still practice at Christmas, so unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately – I might have to practice on Christmas Day and hold the Christmas pudding for a while!
Last weekend was pretty good for me. The first round was tricky, not because of my opponent, but due to the slow pace of play. You have to focus on your darts and try to ignore the painfully slow speed.
Thankfully, I’ve been in the game for so long that I can maintain my focus. Mickey Mansell might be better to throw a little bit quicker with his throw because a couple of times, I noticed that speeding up led to my darts hitting the treble 20.
After that, I faced Peter Wright in a pretty comfortable display. Then, in the last 16, I faced Gilding and won 10-6 with no real pressure. My next quarter-final opponent is Wattimena, and it was frustrating because I initially took the lead but then lapsed in concentration, which cost me.
Still, overall, it was a nice weekend, and I’m feeling pretty confident heading into the World Championships.
Now I have a couple of weeks to practice, along with some exhibitions and interviews. It’s crucial to get my match fitness up, especially since I’ve spent several Christmases at home, and it can be a shock to the system when suddenly thrust into the World Championships with little practice apart from at home. Exhibitions are great for shaking off the dust.
Alright, I’m going to get ready for Christmas now, so I’ll bid you goodbye!
Take care, Wadey
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