Having celebrated his long-awaited first televised ranking title last month, Michael Smith is determined to create his own legacy in the sport, starting with this year’s Cazoo World Darts Championship.
Following a run of eight defeats in big televised finals, Smith fulfilled his darting destiny with Grand Slam of Darts glory at the Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton.
The 32-year-old defeated Nathan Aspinall to claim his elusive televised ranking win, and now he’s setting his sights on lifting the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy on January 3.
“This is the one everyone wants. You’ve got to bring your A-game,” said Smith, who will play Northern Irish debutant Nathan Rafferty in Friday's evening session.
“When you first start playing darts, you picture yourself as world champion, world number one.
“That would just cap off everything that I’ve been working so hard to achieve.”
Smith has come close to landing the sport’s biggest prize on multiple occasions, succumbing in finals against Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
The St Helens star led Wright 5-4 in last year’s showpiece, but the Scot produced an astonishing display in the latter stages to clinch his second World Championship crown.
“I’ve not really done anything wrong in both finals, it’s just Michael and Peter have been a bit better,” admitted Smith – the world number four.
“I’m really looking forward to this year’s World Championship after the year I’ve had.
“I’m in good form and my mind is in a good place. It’s just about believing in yourself and blocking out other people really.”
Smith will be among the leading contenders for the £500,000 top prize at Alexandra Palace, having also featured in UK Open and European Championship finals during a superb 2022 season.
However, despite breaking his duck at the Grand Slam, Smith has vowed to remember his past heartbreak, which he hopes will fuel his title bid in the capital over the coming weeks.
“By winning that first one I’m not going to forget about the defeats,” insisted Smith, a US Darts Masters winner back in June.
“I could be sat here with two World Championships, a Premier League and the World Matchplay. That drives me on.
“I’d like to win a minimum of two world titles. I always said two because Gary [Anderson] has two, and when I was in the same management stable, I said I’d get three just so I’ve got more than him!”
Smith – who was mentored by Anderson in the infancy of his career – is taking inspiration from the Scot, who is one of several players to have enjoyed a magical spell after claiming a landmark title.
Anderson ended his three-year wait for a TV title at the 2014 Players Championship Finals, and he followed that up with back-to-back World Championship titles during a remarkable 18-month period.
Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price also dominated world darts following their maiden televised wins in the PDC, and Smith is bidding to follow in his rivals’ footsteps.
“When I retire I want to know I’ve done something special,” added the former World Youth Champion.
“I remember when Gary won the Players Championship Finals – in almost every round he played a World Champion.
“He then went on to win the World Championship straight after, he won the Premier League and then he went back to the World Championship and won it again.
“It was like Michael [van Gerwen] - as soon as he won his first, he just went on a stupid run and hopefully I can do the same.”
Cazoo World Darts Championship
Friday December 16
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
William O‘Connor v Beau Greaves (R1)
Keegan Brown v Florian Hempel (R1)
Michael Smith v Nathan Rafferty (R2)