Darts star James Wade opens up on first spherical nerves after World Championship win
JAMES WADE COLUMN: The Machine beat Ryusei Azemoto in his first round match at Alexandra Palace and is already looking ahead to his next encounter
What a relief!
After almost 25 years in the game, I still feel really nervous about the first round. After two years of losing in the opening match, it was crucial for me to secure a quick and efficient victory this time.
I’m proud that I managed to achieve a comfortable win. The support from my family and friends in the “family and friends” enclosure meant a lot to me!
I didn’t realise it at the time, but Jack, the son of a friend, was capturing every moment throughout the game for Sky Sports’ film. At just 14 years old, I bet he was really excited. Take it easy, Jack; you had your moment with the camera, but now it’s my time to shine!
If I had to rate my performance out of 10, I would give myself a 6. I’m still finding my rhythm, but that’s okay – my goal is to peak in the semi-finals or final, not before. I scored relatively well and felt in control, although I did get frustrated with my doubles, particularly on the double tops. Fortunately, I managed to sort that out in the end.
Now it’s back to work as I’m set to face Ricky Evans on Monday December 22. Ricky is a strong player who can really light up the stage for a couple of legs, but he also tends to play to the crowd, which sometimes backfires on him. I’ll focus on my own game and try not to think too much about Ricky.
It was great that the competition winners received star treatment on Wednesday night! OOONO, the column sponsor, organised the event, and I had the privilege of chatting with winner Jamie Brine, 45, from Hampshire, after the match – another new convert to the OOONO device!
See you on Monday, either at Ally Pally or on TV.
Take care,
Wadey
OOONO is a screen-free traffic camera alert device, for safer driving – https://ooono.com/en-uk/
