Rob Cross on former triumph as World Darts Championship motivation: I’ve received it as soon as so I can win it once more

Though Rob Cross will all the time stroll into Alexandra Palace with the stress of being a former champion on his shoulders, it’s not one thing he spends time specializing in on the Worlds.

Cross shocked the darting world again in 2018 when, on his debut on the Palace, he walked away as champion after defeating Phil Taylor 7-2 simply 11 months after turning skilled.

He has since cemented himself as one of many world’s prime gamers and goes into the 2024/25 match as world no 4 on the PDC Order of Benefit and in kind.

With such a momentous win on his CV in a match he all the time does nicely in, Cross heads into the Worlds annually as one of many prime names being talked about.

However moderately than seeing his former triumph as an added layer of stress, Cross prefers to see it as motivation that if he has received this entire factor as soon as earlier than, there is no such thing as a purpose why he cannot do it once more.

“I think there’s a big difference with winning stuff anyway, just in general, it’s always nice to know that you can win something,” Cross mentioned.

“As a result of when you have not executed it, when you have not executed it or you have not received it and also you’re saying to your self, nicely, I hope I can win it.

“However on the identical time it does get irritating when you do not win it once more.

“So, I’ve had about a six or seven-year drought now and I sort of need to change that at some point.

“I believe the Worlds was the toughest one for me as a result of whoever’s been world champion by no means desires to provide it again and I get that, however I perceive that.

“But do I find generally defending stuff or anything like that, it doesn’t even enter my brain. I’m not that much of a thinker to be honest.

“You are all the time higher to win the titles than have them, however on the identical time, you should not assume from two years in the past with cash or a yr in the past or no matter, moving into there to defend it and it like that, it is simply further stress.

“I’ll go in there and I’ll probably look at it as a positive and I’ll think to myself, well I’ve won it once so I can win it again instead of making a negative.

“Strain’s man-made and it is by no means an excellent factor, is it?”

Though Cross would not wish to put further stress on himself, there may be all the time the motivation that someday he wish to be introduced because the two-time world champion.

“I think the overall picture I always set myself out and I go I want to win every tournament that I go into because obviously that’s just mentality but at the same time I’m just game by game, literally as they come and they seem to come thick and fast,” he added.

“Just game by game and literally just look to the end of my nose pretty much, just not look any further than that.

“Contact wooden, I by no means actually play a nasty sport there, I actually get pleasure from it, I find it irresistible, it is simply one among them locations I stroll in with all of the reminiscences and different stuff that I’ve had there, I’ll all the time love the place even when I wasn’t enjoying.

“If you’re going to play your best darts and if you can play your best darts, that’s where you want to do it.

“I need to win the entire thing, I need to be introduced two-time world champion. On the identical time, it’s going to simply be one sport at a time, you recognize, I believe it is one among them locations the place it is the largest match on the planet and everybody raises their sport.”

Cross on THAT Littler match: ‘He’s superb for the sport’

Again within the 2023/24 match, Cross supplied darts followers with some epic moments and matches, ‘Voltage’ concerned in a semi-final for the ages towards a sure Luke Littler on his debut.

Littler averaged 106.05, hitting 16 maximums and ton-plus finishes of 149, 142 and 132 en path to an impressive 6-2 victory and Cross, now in a position to have a look at the larger image, sees how “amazing” that run was for the sport.

“To be honest, look, we’re all born trying to be winners and stuff like that but it’s not nice when you lose,” Cross mentioned.

“But look at the bigger picture, you know, the boy and what Luke’s gone on to achieve after that is nothing short of amazing.

“I am not a jealous individual away from darts or wanting in. I suppose I will go up there, I am a competitor and I need to win after I’m up there however if you come off, I have a look at him, I simply assume he is been superb. He’s superb for the sport too.”

Whereas Cross will probably be a favorite once more this yr, there was a variety of shocks and upsets in darts in 2024 and the world No 4 is just not ruling out extra taking place at Ally Pally.

“I just think darts now, if you took it back ten years ago you could probably pick three people that could win a tournament or four if you were being generous,” Cross added.

“Now all of a sudden, you’re looking at it and you’ve probably got, I don’t know, out of 32 you’ve got a definite 24 and you can probably write off the other eight.

“So, I believe that is good for a watcher, I believe for the individuals wanting in and watching at house.”

When will the World Darts Championship happen?

The match will get underneath means at Alexandra Palace on Sunday December 15, with three first-round matches and one second-round match on the opening night.

There will probably be stay darts over every of the next eight days, together with seven afternoon classes, with the standard three-day break from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day earlier than returning with the third spherical and a double session on December 27.

The third and fourth rounds will probably be accomplished by December 30 earlier than an evening off on New 12 months’s Eve, with the quarter-finals held throughout two classes on New 12 months’s Day forward of the semi-finals on January 2 and the ultimate on Friday January 3.

The complete day-by-day schedule for this yr’s match may be discovered right here.

Who will win the Paddy Energy World Darts Championship? Watch each match solely stay from December 15-January 3 on Sky Sports activities’ devoted darts channel. Stream darts and extra prime sport with NOW.