Michael Smith says his three pre-tournament picks for the World Darts Championship were himself, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton, meaning there will only be one left by the end of Saturday night.
Smith beat Clayton in a classic last 16 meeting, edging out the Ferret 4-3 to set up a quarter-final meeting with defending champion Price.
With Bully Boy in fine form and the defending champion looking as confident as always on the big stage, it should be another high quality battle at Alexandra Palace.
Smith feels that whoever gets through it will likely go on to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy and be crowned 2022 world champion.
‘Hopefully I can test my bottle in another final this week. I am keeping my mind focussed and not being an idiot on stage,’ Smith told The Sun. ‘ Hopefully that will get me to the final.
‘I said to my dad and mates the winner would come from me, Gezzy or Jonny Clayton. That’s not being big-headed. Anyone is beatable. Everyone loses games.
‘No one goes up there and averages 160 and 170 every leg. Everyone is beatable.’
Smith is certainly not intimidated by playing the defending champion and world number one, especially after his superb performances to make this stage.
He is feeling comfortable again at the World Championships after a couple of poor years at the biggest event of the season and sees his quarter-final clash as a level match.
‘It doesn’t matter if I played Gezzy and [Phil] Taylor together,’ he told a press conference. ‘As long as I’m on that stage, competing and doing what I love to do and what I know I should be doing, then it’s a two-horse race.
‘It’s not like he’s handicapped or I’m handicapped, like he’s got six and I’ve got three. We’ve both got three darts, got one treble and one double, that’s all I’m thinking about, as long as I find my trebles and doubles, we’ll go from there.’
Price and Smith meet in the evening session on Saturday 1 January, which starts at 7.30pm.
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