Darts veteran Mervyn King says his year has been c**p and blames early starts

Sport

Mervyn King issued a brutally honest verdict on his year after seeing off a Danny Baggish fightback to reach the third round at the World Darts Championship.

The 27th seed looked to be coasting to victory but missed a match dart to win in straight sets. The American fought back to make it 2-2 but King used his vast experience to win the decider.

After the match, the 56-year-old opened up about one of the toughest years of his long and eventful career. However, he bizarrely said it stemmed from his heavy defeat to James Wade in the quarter-finals at last year's Worlds, and a succession of early afternoon starts at the Ally Pally.

READ MORE: Wayne Mardle again rules out darts comeback as it would ‘send body into spasms’

“My whole year has been absolute crap, to be honest with you,” he told reporters. “I’ve been trying my backside off and getting nowhere. I’ve not been playing well.

“That was all from a lot of early games here [at the Alexandra Palace]. First in the afternoon, first in the afternoon, first in the afternoon. It just kills you, it knackers you.

“Hence the reason I didn’t play [well] at all against James Wade last year. He’s like ‘I’ve done a number on him’. Well, you’re going to if you feel like I did, it’s not hard.

How far can Mervyn King go at the World Darts Championship? Tell us in the comments section

“And that carried on the whole year. Normally I have two or three months of playing bad, then it comes back, but it was just bad all year. Hence the reason I missed the Matchplay, hence the reason I missed the Grand Prix.

“But hopefully now things will start coming good and I can turn things round.”

Next, King will face the winner of Friday’s second tie between Rob Cross and Scott Williams.

READ NEXT:

  • Read the latest darts news from the Daily Star here
  • Sky Sports forced to take action as Gerwyn Price is targeted with 's*** Gareth Bale' chant
  • Darts wonderkid Josh Rock ‘knows’ he can beat Nathan Aspinall after 20-minute whitewash
  • Ricky Evans calls out 'sexism' after beating Fallon Sherrock and explains Santa outfit
  • Laura Woods 'kissed beautiful heart-throb of darts on lips' in cringeworthy moment

Source: Read Full Article