Rob Cross openly admits that exhaustion may lead to a loss against any opponent, regardless of their skill level. Nevertheless, the world No.4 remains committed to his unique approach as he builds upon his triumph at the Dutch Darts Masters. In Den Bosch, Cross secured his fifth World Series title after nearly a month of inactivity, which helped him shake off the cobwebs.
The Londoner acknowledges that he’s an unusual player, as he can disconnect from the game entirely. This leads to less practice, which was evident in his underwhelming performance in Bahrain last week.
Cross stresses that this approach is necessary, given his experience with burnout following his 2018 World title win. He explains: “I suppose I’m not like your normal dart player. They can infuse themselves with darts all year round, 300 and whatever days a year and I’m not like that. If I get time off, I have separation from it.
“But if I’ve not put a lot in, then can you really go out and expect to achieve great things? Sometimes I have to play myself in to get myself to win.
He emphasizes the need for effective self-management, especially given the packed calendar.
Cross offers advice to newcomers, saying: “For the early ones coming in, if they do greatness straight away, a bit like my first year, it’s a harsh learning curve. You might not get it right for a year or two, but you will get it right if you keep trying. There’s nothing but the end of it, feeling burnt out and stuff. You never play well.”
Cross also shared insights into his career management, saying: “I’ve got a great team around me. They say, maybe not do this one, or whatever. I might feel fine, but if I’m stubborn and I go, three weeks later I might be the opposite and then all of a sudden I might miss two weeks.
“Sometimes I’m not always at my best, but, look, no-one’s got a gun to their head. It’s not a matter of life or death, so you’ve got to go out there and just enjoy it, embrace it.”
At 34, he feels like a veteran in the game, noting: “I’m 34-years-old and I feel like one of the old people in the game. You’ll go through motions where you’re playing really well and then you go through motions where you could lose anything.”
Cross is confident that he can take on the best players in the world such as Luke Littler and Luke Humphries.