Cessnock’s Simon Whitlock returns to Australian soil keen to retain his status as the No.1 Australian darts player on the international circuit at the Melbourne Darts Masters which starts on Friday.
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Whitlock, known as the Wizard of Oz, was defeated in a 9-10 cliffhanger by rising Australian player Kyle Anderson in the quarter finals of the Auckland Darts Masters, the first round of the treble header Australasian round of the World Series.
Anderson went on to claim his first televised title in another thrilling 11-10 final against fellow Aussie rising star Corey Cadby.
Speaking after his first-round win in Auckland, Whitlock said he was throwing well and his belief in his game was high.
"I'm really confident at the moment, my darts feel great and I feel like my performance levels are really good at the moment.
"I feel like I can win here. Whether I do or not is another thing, but the belief is there."
But is so often the case, a crucial missed double to close out a leg can prove costly and it was the case in the quarter-final against Anderson, who capitalised on a miss by Whitlock to win the game.
Anderson and Cadby are breathing down Whitlock’s neck to takte Wizard’s long-held status as the No.1 Australian player in the Professional Darts Association competition.
Anderson has now targeted further success alongside the sport's top players, as he prepares for the inaugural Unibet Melbourne Masters this weekend and the forthcoming TABtouch Perth Darts Masters in his home city, where he will be cheered on by a large family contingent.
"It was my first time playing in Auckland and I loved every minute of it," Anderson said.
"I felt sick in my stomach after the game because of the elation of getting that double four.
“I'm happy, I'm proud and I'm looking forward to Melbourne.
"It's the first tournament in Melbourne and I'm looking forward to that one. I'm rapt with the way I'm playing; it's all in the doubles and the doubles are going in.
"I don't want one more [TV title], I want a whole load of them. I know I'm good enough, but it's a matter of on the day when you play.
"I'm not going to come out and say that I'll win every title because it's not going to happen, but I'm going to come out and get as far as I can, and if I win one then I win one.
"I know I've got the capability and I've just got to put it together. If I get the doubles and scoring together then I should be fine."
