Michael Smith showcased the form that made him a World Champion last night as he dumped Gary Anderson out of the World Matchplay.
Bully Boy found himself 3-0 down and in truth, he could have been 5-0 down at the first interval of this Sky Sports event.
He dug deep, however, and after trailing 3-2 he went on to record an impressive 10-5 victory against the Flying Scotsman.
Anderson had no response for Smith’s brilliance and it was a case of the apprentice beating the master on the stage.
Despite a pretty comprehensive victory in the end for Smith, there was something that really wound him up during the match against Anderson.
Michael Smith shares what really wound him up during win over Gary Anderson
Although this was a resounding win in the end over Anderson, it’s fair to say that Smith wasn’t quite happy with his game completely.
The first session of the match saw him really struggle and he did well to hang in there and pinch two of the first five legs.
After the match, he shared with Sky Sports what he felt really annoyed him at the Winter Gardens after he’d progressed to round two.
He said: “What was annoying me most in that match is that I couldn’t stay out of the 5. Every single time it was treble 20, treble 5 or big 5. But he gave me that chance, I took it at 3-2 and then I won the next five.
“All I had to do was keep control, there was no way I was missing that 90, it’s my favourite finish. I will never miss it.”
Smith can go all the way this week in Blackpool
When he’s on it, Smith can beat the very best as he proved in beating Michael van Gerwen to become World Champion in 2023.
Smith faces Chris Dobey in the second round this evening and he will fancy his chances of progressing through that match.
The St Helens thrower is one of the most naturally gifted players on the tour – and there is a feeling that he’s underachieved in his career.
However, Smith is only 33-years-old and he has bags of time left on the big stage yet to collect more of the top prizes.
His best feat at the World Matchplay was when he lost in the final back in 2019 and this year he will be hoping to go one better.