Joe Cullen advanced to the final day of the European Darts Grand Prix with a 6-3 victory over world number three Gian van Veen in Sindelfingen, but post-match, his focus turned to the unclear qualification criteria for the Grand Slam of Darts. "I'm not even sure of the criteria now, no one really knows!" Cullen exclaimed, highlighting the European Tour's importance not just financially but for securing spots in major televised events.
Cullen, a former European Tour title winner, controlled the contest against van Veen, conceding just a single break of throw. He now sets up a last-16 clash with Krzysztof Ratajski. Despite the win, Cullen stressed he is far from top gear, telling DartsNews, "I'm happy with the win. I'm still plenty in the tank performance-wise, but I did what I had to do tonight, just the same as I did yesterday. I didn't play great yesterday, but I did enough to win the game." He added that he hasn't overexerted himself yet and feels ready for the long Sunday ahead, having won similar events before.
This run comes after a disappointing outing in Munich, which Cullen labeled as one of the worst performances of his career. He explained, "Yeah, maybe so. It was disappointing. I don't know what it came off the back of, because I'd played some good darts during the week on the Pro Tours, I lost in the final and I was in good form, in a good headspace. So to put in a performance like that from nowhere is why I probably called it the worst performance." Determined to respond, he targeted this event, noting wins over tricky opponents like Maik Kuivenhoven and van Veen as pleasing signs that his game is in a good place.
Cullen admitted consistency remains a key focus, revealing he has been practicing more this year after a subpar last season. "Do you know what? I've actually been practising a bit this year, it's as simple as that," he said. "I've never been a big practicer, but this year I knew I had to change something because last year didn't work. There were a couple of highlights, but to be at this level and stay there, you need consistency, and I didn't have that last year. So I'm trying everything I can, putting a lot more work in, to get some level of consistency, because last year wasn't good enough." He believes progress is being made with small steps this year.
Reflecting on the European Tour's significance, Cullen, a three-time winner, said, "The European Tour is huge. Not only financially, the money's gone up, but it probably gets you a Grand Slam spot." He emphasized the security these events provide, allowing players to rest a little knowing they have earnings and TV event qualifications secured. Cullen, who used to thrive on this circuit with quarter-final minimums weekly, is eager to rediscover that consistency, stating, "I was a beneficiary of it early in my career, this used to be my bread and butter, making quarter-finals minimum every week. I've not been there for a while, but I'm doing positive things to get back there."
