James Wade has booked his place in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix in emphatic fashion, sweeping past Gian van Veen 3-0 in the quarter-finals. Yet "The Machine" remained strikingly matter-of-fact afterwards about his dominant display, telling DartsNews.com: "Yeah, I was fortunate, you know, he played really poor. I played better than he did and that's just all the result was. I think I did some really good stuff but he was really poor and we all get those games every now and then."
Wade does not believe a sharper version of Van Veen would necessarily have changed the result, with the 43-year-old feeling his own level is outstanding at the moment. "I don't think the version would have made much difference to be fair because I'm feeling pretty confident at the moment. Yeah, I don't want to sound disrespectful. Yeah, he's a great player," he said. "I would say probably the press and other people around darts are more surprised than I am. But no, I feel alright at the moment so it's pretty good, pretty positive." Wade averaged 96 and, on the doubles, again showed why he is so dangerous in the World Grand Prix's double-in, double-out format. His form has not come out of nowhere either. "Well, not that I didn't play well but you know, I think people are more surprised by what I'm doing than what I'm surprised by what I'm doing. I think that's just it really. The last two or three months have started to feel really good."
Tellingly, his strong form does not mean all doubts have vanished. Wade spoke candidly about the uncertainty and tension he still feels before walking on stage. "Still really negative and anxious before the game but that's part of being who I am and I want everyone else at home to know that. We can all, with our little jittery issues, we can all feel anxious and nervous but we can still deliver. I think that's quite a good signal to send home for kids like me." He referenced his two sons, Arthur and Alf. "I'm not kidding, I'm 43 but I know I send that signal to my two sons, Arthur and Alf. Alf is just like the most brash, brazen little boy in the world that's confident in a pool of a thousand people and Arthur is very much like me. I send that signal to him every day." According to Wade, people who do not quite fit the mould should not let that hold them back. "Us awkward ones that aren't quite conforming and quite awkward, we can make our path and choose our own things but we're doing alright."
While Wade has stepped back into the spotlight in recent months, he feels his strong spell has lasted much longer. "I wouldn't say I'm a normal one to promote myself but I think I've been doing well for 24 months. I think I've probably been the best. The best, that sounds like a very silly thing to say. In the last 24 months I would say I've been consistently inside the top five and that's me being modest so probably a little bit higher than that. I've had a bit of misfortune I haven't done things at certain times but tied games where I'm a little bit old and a little bit unhealthy, probably would have done a lot better in three or four tournaments but talk is cheap and we're all full of excuses. But no, I'm doing alright and I think other players are aware of that."
Wade also senses his critics are taking him more seriously. "More importantly I think some of my critics, we all need those don't we because they keep us sharp and make us sharper on certain things. I think some of those are starting to see that I can play darts. It's quite funny that darts is surrounded by a lot of young fans now that have no idea what's going on before Luke Littler." Despite growing confidence, Wade still questions himself. "I don't think I'm as confident as I think I am. If that makes sense. I feel like I'm confident and then I doubt it every single time." On stage against Van Veen he managed those thoughts superbly. "I think I had tops left for a couple of times to win sets and stuff and I was just thinking just throw a good dart at it and then the next one I'll go in if you get a shot at it. I was throwing a dart and they were going in."
Finally, Wade returned to Gary Anderson, whom he discussed earlier this week. This time he did not hide his admiration for the Scot. "I was speaking to a couple of people earlier on today and I was like when Gary Anderson was at his very best something I've not achieved, those levels of that. Freakiness, because he's a complete freak. When he was at his very best, he's the best player I've ever played in the world. I'm better than Phil Taylor, better than Michael van Gerwen. I'll never get to that but what I can do is I can grind and I can finish better than Gary's ever been able to finish when I'm at my best."
Above all, Wade is pleased with his current headspace. "We all have good weeks and we all have good days and we all have bad days. At the moment I'm feeling quite, I'm not overwhelmed by it all. I think that's the worst thing in the world that happens to me in darts. I get overwhelmed like expectancy or what I can do. At the moment I'm not overwhelmed by it, I'm not nervous by it, I'm not over-shunned by anyone else. I think I can do a good thing in darts. So yeah at the moment as I say I'm not overwhelmed, I'm happy where I am."
