Daryl Gurney heeft zijn zinnen gezet op een thuiswedstrijd volgende week in de Unibet Premier League of Darts. De Premier League keert dan terug naar Belfast.
Afgelopen donderdag had Gurney in Berlijn een memorabele overwinning op Michael van Gerwen, daarmee vergrootte hij zijn kansen om niet geëlimineerd te worden in Rotterdam op donderdag.
De Noord-Ier zal het op woensdag opnemen tegen Raymond van Barneveld. In deze wedstrijd in Rotterdam Ahoy wordt voor een groot deel bepaald welke speler de Premier League moet verlaten.
De winnaar van de Players Championship Finals speelt in Rotterdam ook nog tegen Mensur Suljovic. Hij hoopt in beide wedstrijden op punten om zijn plek in de SSE Arena op 4 april veilig te stellen.
GURNEY: "I'm desperate to play in Belfast, I only get to play there once a year, so I'd be really disappointed if I didn't make Belfast.
The atmosphere last year was brilliant, probably one of the best walk-ons that I've had - the place was going mad. Belfast will bouncing and hopefully I get that far.
That was the main thing this season and if I can get to play in Belfast then I've got past elimination I can then try to push to get into the top four."
Gurney zag zijn Premier League seizoen in duigen vallen toen hij met 7-1 van Rob Cross verloor in Exeter en een 7-0 verlies tegen James Wade in Aberdeen.
Maar toen Gurney vorige week met 7-5 van van Gerwen won zag hij toch weer in dat het nog zeker mogelijk was om het tweede deel van de Premier League te halen.
GURNEY: "I've got so many gears left in me, I'm still not playing my best, I can't wait until I play proper darts, and then I'll be even harder to beat!
The results against James and Rob were disappointing. I was awful against Rob, I played well against James but he just destroyed me and was in one of those moods.
Against Michael, I was fighting myself all the way through the game, pulling my first dart low, but he wasn't on his game and I hung in there and took my chances.
I'm still trying to build up to a good Daryl Gurney, not the one that's fighting with myself and struggling the whole way through these games.
I'm still learning. I've been playing in the PDC for six years but I've only been at the top of the game for the last two years, so I haven't been around that long.
I'm still trying to get back to the Daryl Gurney of 2017, where I was wanting to eat all these players alive.
It's going to be difficult because the whole crowd will be behind Raymond, I might need earplugs but I think even they wouldn't drown them out.
I'm looking forward to the game and it will be a great occasion. I'll enjoy his walk-on because that will be special, but then I've got to focus on my game and trying to get the result."
© Foto: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)