Chris Dobey believes he’s on the cusp of landing another major piece of silverware, as he prepares to return to the scene of his televised breakthrough at the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts.
The Bedlington star made his name by reaching the quarter-finals of the 2016 Grand Slam as a fresh-faced 26-year-old, and now he heads back to the WV Active Aldersley as a televised title winner.
Dobey celebrated his maiden televised crown with victory in January’s Masters, defeating Joe Cullen, Luke Humphries, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Michael Smith and Rob Cross to triumph in Milton Keynes.
This saw him rewarded with a Premier League Darts inclusion, and he acquitted himself superbly during the 16-week roadshow, which included a memorable victory on the tournament’s opening night in Belfast.
Dobey was on the receiving end of some inspired performances throughout the Premier League, with his opponents registering ton-plus averages in 11 of the 23 games he played across the campaign.
However, he posted nine ton-plus averages himself, with his tournament average of 97.32 bettered only by Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith.
“Having that experience in the Premier League was fantastic. I loved every minute of it,” added Dobey, a winner of three PDC titles.
“Playing in the biggest arenas has helped my all-round game and made me a more complete player.
“You’re playing against the best in the world week in week out when you’re in the Premier League, so you know you’ve got to be at your best.
“You have to take your chances because if you miss one or two darts [at double] you get punished, and that’s what happened, but I must be doing something right if I’m bringing the best out of everyone.
“I didn’t beat myself up and although I didn’t get the results, I felt my game was there and I was happy with how I handled myself."
The 33-year-old has since reached three consecutive TV ranking quarter-finals, progressing to the last eight at the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and European Championship to continue his upward trajectory.
However, despite his impressive consistency on the big stage, Dobey is still £17,500 adrift of a place in the world’s top 16 – a milestone he’s confident of conquering over the coming weeks.
“I feel like I’ve needed to take that step for a while now, and it’s not too far away,” declared Dobey, the provisional number 17 seed for the 2023/24 World Darts Championship.
“It’s been long overdue, and if I do break into the top 16, hopefully there will be no looking back and I can set myself the next target.
“I’ve been playing well. My consistency is there, so I definitely feel I have a good run in me. Hopefully it comes in Wolverhampton.”
Dobey will open his challenge against 2022 World Youth Champion Josh Rock, who landed a spectacular nine-darter against Michael van Gerwen at this event 12 months ago.
Wales’ World Cup champion Jonny Clayton and 2023 Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner Berry van Peer will also feature in a star-studded Group B, although Dobey is bullish about his prospects.
“No games are easy and it’s a very strong group, but I’m ready for the challenge,” insisted the Masters champion.
“There is no reason why I cannot go there and top the group. It’s going to be a tough ask, but I’m confident going into it, and I know where my game is at.
“I think they will be worrying about me more than I am worrying about them.”
The Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
You can read the full exclusive interview with Chris in the official 2023 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts programme.