James Wade didn’t cover himself in glory after victory against World No. 1 Luke Humphries to keep his Grand Slam of Darts hopes alive.
The Machine has had an up-and-down run at the Wolverhampton event, losing 5-3 to Mickey Mansell and then overcoming Luke Humphries by the same scoreline.
James Wade was unhappy about Mardle’s Sky Sports commentary after his victory over Cool Hand and forgot Mansell’s name.
James Wade ‘disrespects’ Mickey Mansell in post-match interview
In an awkward post-match interview, Wade was unhappy with Mardle’s comments that he was ‘lucky’ in his match with Humphries.
Wade said: “I disagree with what Wayne Mardle said. Apparently it was all my luck and nothing to do with ability” in a frosty interview and it only got more awkward as it went on.
Wade said: “I think I was unlucky against…um, what’s his name?” referring to Mansell before complaining about his tactics in their opening-round tie.
Wade has been on the tour with Mansell for over a decade, which makes this either an incredibly disrespectful oversight or further gamesmanship from The Machine.
Wade heads into must-win clash with Rodriguez
Despite his must-win victory over Humphries, the high-stakes continue for Wade as he has to beat World Cup runner-up Rowby-John Rodriguez to qualify for the knockouts.
Both men are on two wins apiece, with eight legs for and eight legs against, meaning a victory either way will guarantee qualification alongside Mansell in the top spot.
The pair last met in the Grand Slam of Darts in 2021 when Wade prevailed with a 10-2 victory over the Austrian.