Rob Cross sealed a 6-3 win to set up a final day tie as he saw off William O'Connor to reach the third round of the Austrian Darts Open in Graz. The 2018 world champion has taken stock on losing opportunities and having to go through qualifying now, but insists he is in a good place and won't complain about his current predicament.
Speaking to DartsNews post-match, Cross said: "I felt really good on the practice board. I probably have done for maybe a month now. I’ve been working hard, I must say that. If you can’t get results, it’s difficult, but I’ve had some great performances on the ProTours and I think they’ve helped me." Reflecting on his win over O'Connor, he added: "Today, I had a couple of legs off there and Willie was probably the better player through the early stages, but I picked legs up. Credit to myself, I dug in. When I got away with one, I put an 11-darter in the next leg and that’s what darts is about. You go on and get the wins. So I’m really happy just to get the win."
Cross admitted he had been "very, very lazy with the game" last year, but has turned things around: "This year, maybe even around the Worlds, I tried to hit a switch. I tried to get myself where I wanted to be and where I know I can win. I had a pretty good Worlds considering where things were at. This year, I’m putting more hours in and I’m more focused on the job. I need to do that because around the corner we’ve got big tournaments coming up. At the minute I’m missing out, but that’s fine. If I keep doing what I’m doing and play how I know I can, I think I’ll get into everything."
The former world number one also revealed a switch to K-Flex flights, which he described as a "complete mistake" after a practice session with a friend. "He’s one of those players who tries everything — another Peter Wright behind the scenes. I picked them up and they’re a medium setup now instead of an intermediate. I’ve thrown with them ever since and I can’t really see myself changing because of how straight they sit now. There’s no lag in the dart, I’ve got loads of power in it and I can reach tops better. There are loads of positives. I wouldn’t say I’m fully used to them yet, so there’s still more work to do and more time to spend with them, but I can’t really see myself going back." He added: "I think I’ve missed four nine-darters with them this year and I’ve also hit one, so they’re going really well."
On having to qualify for events now, Cross put his pride aside: "Look, I’m used to the opening game anyway. Whether you’re seeded or not, there’s pressure because nobody wants to lose ranking money. For the seeded players, there’s probably even more pressure because if they lose early, they don’t pick up the guaranteed money. Everyone works so hard for these spots, whether you’re in the top 16, top 32 or wherever you are. When you’re not getting ranking money, it’s tough, but I’m not going to cry about it. I understand they can’t just give too many opportunities away. Sometimes you’ve just got to put your big boy pants on and carry on. Personally, that’s what I’m doing. I’m working hard and as long as I’m doing that, that’s the main thing for me at the minute. I’m never going to get better by doing what I did last year, so everything is heading in the right direction. That’s all I’m interested in right now, head down and just keep moving forward."
