CROSS HITS THE BOOS AGAIN

ROB CROSS admits he is sick of being the villain but is getting used to hitting the boos!

The 2018 world champion faces Daryl Gurney in his Belfast backyard tonight (Thurs) in the Unibet Premier League.

Joint top Voltage defied the din of the Dutch jeers a week ago to beat Jeffrey de Zwaan on his home soil and now knows he faces being the bad boy again.

He said: “I felt like The Joker movie villain in Rotterdam and now I’ve got it again in Belfast against Daryl.

“Funny enough, I think the crowd actually got me to play more aggressively and won me the match by booing me.

“I’d been really flat the previous night against Mensur and I didn’t start well when I played Jeffrey. But then the crowd were giving me stick and I got angry and started to hit everything.

“So maybe being the bad boy suits me, I don’t know. I just have to play my own game. Not Daryl or the fans. If I do that I can hopefully silence them. 

“It’s all good fun. I don’t blame the fans for booing. They pay their money to watch us and we are grateful for their support, good or bad.

“Equally it’s my job to keep them quiet by winning the match. That’s part and parcel of the game these days and I love it.

“I've got to keep doing what I've been doing but I'm playing well. I've shown some character recently and I've needed to do that.”

Gurney said: “I absolutely cannot wait for Thursday night. I was already over the moon to be returning to Belfast and to win my first European Tour event just a few days before it is the perfect start.

“Last year in Belfast was one of the most magical experiences of my life, so to get the chance to do it again is a dream come true. I know the place will be absolutely buzzing again.

“I'm not as consistently good as Rob, Michael van Gerwen or James Wade but I'm looking to get into the top four.”

2019 Unibet Premier League

Night Ten - Thursday April 4

The SSE Arena, Belfast

Mensur Suljovic v James Wade

Michael Smith v Peter Wright

Rob Cross v Daryl Gurney

Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price

Words: Phil Lanning

Images: Taylor Lanning