Gary Anderson insists his attention is fully on Jermaine Wattimena as he prepares for their round three clash at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship. The two-time World Champion progressed with a 3-1 victory over Connor Scutt, averaging nearly 106, but acknowledges there are areas to improve.

“Anything’s good nowadays,” Anderson reflected. “There were a couple of legs, a good half dozen throws were 60 and under, so the average could have been better! I felt good. First set I was scoring well, I couldn’t hit a double, but the second set started to go on. When you start hitting doubles, the confidence goes up a bit.”

Anderson is aware of the challenge Wattimena presents, noting his strong form over the past two seasons. “Jermaine over the last 18 to 24 months, he’s been absolutely fantastic over the last two years, so that’s another hard one,” he admitted.

Despite being in his mid-50s, Anderson rejects the notion that darts is now a young man’s game. “People think it’s a young man’s game – it’s not, I can still do it,” he said, highlighting that his motivation remains strong.

He also credits practice with his son Tai for keeping him sharp physically and mentally. “We came up on Saturday, me and Tai have been in the room for the last three days. He’s been dragging me out for a throw playing the 121 game – he’s addicted! It’s got me out the room instead of just sitting there.”

With only Michael van Gerwen surpassing him in World Championship wins at Alexandra Palace, Anderson remains realistic about expectations. “We can’t play well all the time,” he added. “People think we’re robots. Sometimes these things happen, but it’ll pick up, it’ll get better.”

Anderson’s focus is clear: each game must be treated on its own merits as he looks to extend his impressive record on the sport’s biggest stage.

Source: PDC.TV