‘I had nothing left after the quarters’published at 23:02 16 May
Night 16 winner Michael Smith, speaking to Sky Sports: “It does feel good. Coming into the semi-finals I thought I had nothing left. I thought I’d lose 6-0.
“But Luke Littler tried a clever finish on the bull in the semi and that annoyed me and I went from there.”
On qualifying for the play-offs: “I knew what I was doing! I think I was on 10 points after three weeks and if I got another 10 points in the next three or four, I’d be OK but it didn’t work out that way.
“I sat back on my laurels but the last two weeks I’ve really pushed through. I cried more after the quarter-final then I did when I won the Worlds.”
On beating good friend Nathan Aspinall: “I wanted to celebrate and run around after winning but because it was Nathan I just couldn’t.
“I did a little bit after the 132 but that deserved it! I’m glad it was me if anyone was going to knock him out because I want him with me in the last four.”
On focusing again after reaching top four: “I think the fixtures were the wrong way round. I thought Luke Littler should have gone on third because he could win the league, then me on fourth.
“After those games it felt like the night was over.”
On the play-offs: “Next week is what matters. Luke [Humphries] and [Luke] Littler won’t think about tonight.
“We’re just hanging onto their coattails and hoping we can get the odd win.
“Tuesday is when the focus starts. I need to go back to 2020, that when I was enjoying my darts the most.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
