Dave Chisnall has revealed he has gone a full week without throwing a single dart as he enjoys a family break at Flamingo Land, but the 45-year-old insists the rest has left him refreshed and ready for a busy run of PDC tournaments.
Speaking in his weekly column with Kwiff, Chisnall explained that the period around the World Matchplay is traditionally quiet, especially for players who don't go deep in Blackpool. "It's been a quiet few weeks from a darts perspective, with the time just after the World Matchplay, and the few weeks before and after the World Darts Championships the quietest times of the season," he said. "There's always a bit of a lull before and after Blackpool, especially if you don't go too deep into the tournament, because of how the schedule is setup so it's nice to get back to it next week."
The Englishman has deliberately stepped away from the oche to spend time with family, but admits the itch to return is growing. "I'm actually spending the day at Flamingo Land with the family and as nice as it is to spend some time with them – it isn't half easier to be chucking a few darts lol!" he joked. "It's been a good few weeks and the kids have had some fun but I'm ready to play some darts now."
Chisnall's immediate schedule includes the World Series Qualifier on Monday, followed by two Pro Tour events from Monday through Wednesday. "My form has really picked up there, which enabled me to get to Blackpool in the first place," he noted. "Some folk find it a bit strange when I say I've not thrown a dart in a week, but I genuinely haven't and won't now until Saturday. I'll have a good few hours on the practice board on Saturday, and the same on Sunday before hopefully cheering on Liverpool coming back in this weekend's Premier League action."
Beyond darts, Chisnall is optimistic about Liverpool's Premier League title chances, despite acknowledging Arsenal as deserving favourites. "Few would describe me as an eternal optimist, but I do fancy our chances again this year. The bookies make us third favorites and I think that's fair. Arsenal are deserving Champions and are worthy favourites – the strength of squad they've built up is pretty staggering and fair play to Mikel Arteta," he said. "We finished last season with no recognised strikers, so to have Isak back properly and Ekitike is a big plus. Our achilles heel was our defence last year so any new defender in for Konate is big upgrade. Fingers crossed for 3 points on Sunday, and another Title come May."
