Michael Smith secured a 6-2 victory over James Hurrell at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich, but admitted he was far from his best due to illness. Speaking to DartsNews after the match, Smith downplayed the quality of the contest, highlighting physical challenges both players faced. He revealed he has been struggling with illness for the past week, saying, "I've been ill for the last week, no energy whatsoever, and I think you just saw that on stage." Despite this, he emphasized there are no injury concerns, stating, "Injury-wise, all good... Feet feel fine, wrist, shoulder—everything's good."
Smith was full of praise for the Munich crowd, joking, "I always love coming here. They're always amazing—unless you're playing a German!" He added, "I was lucky enough to win here a couple of years ago, and I'd love to come back and do it again because there's no better city to win in than Munich." The win moves him into the next round, where he will face Dave Chisnall.
Reflecting on his career priorities, Smith insisted rankings and prize money are not his focus. He explained, "I'm not bothered just now. It's about just keeping winning matches and doing my thing. I've won the World Championship, I've been World No. 1, so there's not a position I haven't been in, and there's not a position I haven't had to climb out of." He noted past fluctuations, saying, "I dropped down to 16, got back up to No. 1, dropped to 7, got back to 4—so it doesn't bother me whatsoever. It's just about turning up and winning matches, and if I win matches, the rankings take care of themselves."
