Nathan Aspinall has admitted he was left momentarily “scared” by the antics of his opponent before securing victory at the World Darts Championship, revealing how an unusual pre-match moment caught him off guard at Alexandra Palace.
Aspinall progressed at the PDC World Darts Championship after coming through his match in convincing fashion, but it was what happened before the action began that briefly unsettled the former major champion.
Speaking after the game, Aspinall explained that his opponent’s intense behaviour on stage — including animated movements and an aggressive warm-up routine — made him pause for thought as they prepared to throw the opening darts.
“I won’t lie, it did scare me a bit at first,” Aspinall admitted. “You’re stood there thinking, ‘What’s going on here?’ It’s not something you see every day.”
Despite the initial surprise, the Englishman quickly settled into his rhythm once the match got underway. Drawing on his experience on the big stage at Alexandra Palace, Aspinall composed himself and began to assert control, gradually easing past his opponent to book his place in the next round.
“The key was just blocking everything else out,” he said. “Once the first few legs are gone, you forget about all that and just focus on hitting the board.”
Aspinall also praised his opponent’s passion, stressing there was no ill intent behind the behaviour.
“Everyone gets themselves up in different ways,” he added. “If that’s what works for him, fair play. I just had to make sure it didn’t affect me.”
The win keeps Aspinall firmly on course as he looks to build momentum at this year’s World Championship, with confidence growing after navigating both the mind games and the darts themselves on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
