James Wade returned to the World Series of Darts stage with a victory in Copenhagen, beating Madars Razma 6-1 in the first round of the Nordic Darts Masters. Averaging 87 in a match he described as 'quite lackadaisical and lazy,' Wade admitted it was not a vintage display but said, 'Yeah, just happy to win.'
The 11-time major winner, who has not been part of every World Series selection recently, spoke openly about being back among 'the big boys.' 'I'll tell you what, it's just really nice to be invited to it again,' Wade said. 'I'm not saying I deserve to be invited or I haven't deserved to be invited, but it's nice to be part of the game where the big boys play. I think I've probably been overdue it, so I'm just happy to be here.'
Wade, who has reached three televised finals in the past 12 months without winning, reflected on being selected for the Nordic Darts Masters and the US Darts Masters in New York. 'Initially I thought, "Oh wow, wow, wow, I've been considered for it," he said. 'Then afterwards I thought, "Well, I lost in three finals in 12 months, so I'm probably quite eligible."' His next target is clear: 'I would like to win a TV tournament, to be fair. I think I've had three runner-up finishes in the last 12 months and I believe that probably one of them should have gone my way. We just keep plugging along and just keep going. I know I've still got the game in me and I'm still good enough to win titles.'
Wade also addressed his walk-on song, Elton John's 'I'm Still Standing,' which was chosen by a close friend. 'It wasn't chosen by me,' he said. 'It's probably quite apt. Not as exciting as what people want, but it's probably quite apt.' He added, 'Still standing. I've been there for 25 years and achieved a whole lot more than other people, so it's pretty good, right?'
Wade described Copenhagen as 'magical' and joked it was 'a damn sight better than Barnsley and Wigan.' However, he admitted travelling alone has been difficult. 'The only negative I'm having at the moment is I'm doing these World Series events on my own, with no companion,' he said. 'So it's quite tricky, quite hard work, quite lonesome. After 25 years of doing it, it's quite sad that no one's sharing the experience with me. But I'm still happy and grateful to be here.' He plans to bring a lifelong friend named Lee to Australia for future events. Wade also confirmed his increased social media activity is deliberate: 'One hundred per cent, because I don't want to be judged on my miserable little face on TV. There's a lot more to me. I'm not quite as boring as what people think and I'm far more interesting than a lot of other dart players. That's all I'm going to say.'
