Dave Chisnall: It’s a hard group, but I believe I can get out of it

There’s no doubt Dave Chisnall is in the so-called group of death at the Champions League of Darts, but he believes he’ll come out the other side of it all…

Paddy Power: Hi Dave! You’ve got Michael van Gerwen in your first game, it really doesn’t get any harder than that?

Dave Chisnall: To be fair, Michael hasn’t been playing at his best and he’s been getting beat. However, we’ve all been getting beaten really, it’s just one of those things after having a break at the end of August. It’s just a case of who turns up and plays better on the day wins really, that’s how it’s been. I feel really good coming in here actually, I’ve been practicing and doing local competitions to keep my match fitness going.

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PP: If you come out and beat Michael in the opener, that would be a massive statement from you heading into the rest of the tournament wouldn’t it?

DC: It would be a massive statement to beat him, it’s going to be hard though because I’ve played him so many times and he’s bashed me up really. Each time I play him I think about it, but I’m not going to think about anything when I play him on Saturday. I’m just going to get up there and play my own game. It’s very important for me to do that because if I’m watching his game, it’s no good. You end up thinking I’ve got to beat his score, you’re not concentrating on your own throw and your own game. It’s going to be a different strategy from me this weekend.

PP: Thoughts on your other opponents in the group?

DC: It’s a tough group isn’t it? You’ve got Michael, Gary Anderson and Daryl Gurney, they’re all top five players in the world. It’s a hard group, but I believe I can get out of it. You’ve got to play the best anyway, so it’ll be a challenge and I’m ready for that. I played Gary here at the Champions League of Darts last year and he beat me, but last year I wasn’t playing very well at all. This year though, I’m up for it. Daryl is a fantastic player, I’ve got to do what he does because you know he can hit the 180s. Sometimes it’s just my finishing that lets me down, but I’m ready to compete here.

PP: Scoring power isn’t lacking in your group. Is getting your finishing percentage high all the more important?

DC: Yes, finishing is going to be huge in our group. We can all score big, our group is a 180-fest really, but if you hit your doubles anybody can come out of that group. Two out of the four have to advance and I hope one of them is me.

PP: What’s a good weekend for you?

DC: If I got out of the group I’d want more, because you’ll have played the best two players in the world really in Gary and Michael. If you get out of that group you’ll be brimming with confidence, but you’ll want to at least get to the final then.

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