{"id":299532,"date":"2023-12-16T12:39:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T12:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=299532"},"modified":"2023-12-16T12:39:01","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T12:39:01","slug":"darts-champion-wanted-to-ruin-opponent-after-feisty-world-championship-gesture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/nba\/darts-champion-wanted-to-ruin-opponent-after-feisty-world-championship-gesture\/","title":{"rendered":"Darts champion wanted to ‘ruin’ opponent after feisty World Championship gesture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michael Van Gerwen previews World Darts Championship<\/h3>\n

Defending champion Michael Smith admitted that he wanted to \u201cruin\u201d Kevin Doets during their World Darts Championship second-round clash on Friday. Doets was playing his second match of the night and had put himself in a promising position before Smith used his experience on the big stage to mount an impressive comeback.<\/p>\n

Doets was putting in one of the best performances of his career and led 2-1 in the best-of-five contest, prompting the Dutchman to celebrate a successful throw by pointing directly at Smith.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s winner then produced checkouts of 150, 142 and 120 on his way to a 3-2 win, before explaining that Doets\u2019 gesture was a catalyst for his response.<\/p>\n

“Being 2-1 down there was a 142 in there somewhere, but I nearly threw it away by missing a nine-darter to make it 3-0,” said Smith. “I just kept plugging, kept fighting. When he took it to 2-1 up, he gave me a point with his finger and I remember last year, Martin Schindler did that as well, now you\u2019ve just got to ruin him.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

“When I was driving up to the Alexandra Palace, it was the same nerves as last year. Thirteen years in a row it\u2019s the same nerves, I was quite happy with that. The only thing I was unhappy about was that I missed four nines or five nines in the back room. It\u2019s one of them, I managed to fall over the line, no nerves, no pressure. I\u2019ll have a good Christmas now.”<\/p>\n

Smith is the first player through to the third round, which will take place after Christmas, and he was relieved that the World Championship has such a format that he was able to stage a comeback. “It’s the game that I needed I think,” added Smith. “Being 2-1 down, it was nice to show that I’ve still got the fight and I still know how to battle back.<\/p>\n