MICHAEL SMITH is preparing for the PDC World Darts Championship final in a rather unorthodox manner.
The 32-year-old came up short in 2019 and 2022 as he lost finals against Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright.
Now he gets a third stab at claiming his first world title and a shot at revenge against three-time champion Van Gerwen.
Yet despite his past disappointments, Smith does not seem to be letting the nerves get to him just hours before taking to the oche at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday evening.
At around 11am on the morning of the final, he shared a picture sat in front of the television.
And Bully Boy added the short caption: “Bit of Supermarket Sweep .”
His relaxing lead-up to the final may well help his mindset when he comes up against Van Gerwen.
Smith, who won the Grand Slam of Darts in November to claim his first major title, is the underdog heading into the clash with the Dutchman – who beat him 7-3 to claim the title four years ago.
The St Helens-born player, currently ranked No4 in the world, swatted aside Gabriel Clemens 6-2 in their semi-final on Monday night.
But Van Gerwen produced an even more impressive display as he thrashed Dimitri van den Bergh in a 6-0 whitewash.
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Speaking after reaching the final, Smith said: “Tonight I showed up – I hit crucial doubles, I hit really good 180s and I’m really happy with myself.”
He then went on to add: “I want to win. I’ve finally won my first major, hopefully I can get my first World Championship.
“If I don’t, I’m only 32 so I’ve still got 18 more left.
“I’ll keep fighting, keep competing and if it does work out the way I want it too I feel sorry for my liver!”
