Rob Cross qualified for the last 16 of the Slovak Darts Open on Saturday, but the former world champion was strikingly honest about his own performance afterward. Although the Englishman once again left the stage as the winner, he felt he was still far from his best level. Nevertheless, Cross saw enough positives to look ahead confidently to his next match against Dutch sensation Kevin Doets.
Cross immediately made it clear that he was not completely satisfied with his performance. He admitted that both in his previous match and in this one, he struggled to reach his usual standard. "I wasn't at the top of my game yesterday. I wasn't really close today, you know. It's very hot out here, it's very sticky but look, you've got to make the good thing out of a bad situation sometimes," he said. However Cross refused to make excuses. Instead, he emphasized the importance of getting results, especially during long tournaments where not every performance is flawless. "It's all about the ranking points, I suppose, and other stuff. I'm happy to be here tomorrow, you know, because if I get my act together, actually, I feel like I'm playing well," he added.
In addition to the victory, Cross was presented with a remarkable statistic afterward. His match turned out to be the 7,000th match in the history of the PDC European Tour. Although visibly surprised by the fact, the Englishman was able to laugh about it. "Yeah, well, I've been on many other things in my life so if I get tied with that, I'm an happy boy."
In the last 16, an intriguing clash awaits against Kevin Doets. The Dutchman has made a strong impression on the international stage in recent months and is widely regarded as one of the leading representatives of the new generation of Dutch darts players. Cross has great respect for his upcoming opponent and for Dutch darts in general. According to him, the Netherlands is currently in an excellent position when it comes to talent development and performances at the highest level. "Look, he's got all the wind in his sails and stuff but I've got all the experience. I've been there before and exactly the same as today."
The meeting between Cross and Doets therefore promises to be a fascinating battle. On one side stands a player who has been among the world’s elite for years and knows exactly what it takes to win tournaments. On the other stands an ambitious Dutchman who is increasingly establishing himself at the highest level. Cross views the match as simply another challenge to approach in the same way as the previous rounds. "I'll be the same tomorrow and we'll just carry on. What I would say, what a great load of crowds you boys and girls are, you know. Look, that's what it's all about." According to Cross, a match does not always have to be of the very highest standard to be valuable for spectators. The connection with the fans and the atmosphere in the venue are a huge part of the sport. "It's about entertaining. I didn't play my best but look, to do it in front of these people, that's what matters. Yeah, tomorrow, we'll wake up tomorrow and worry about that."
