CROSS VOWS TO “KICK ON” AFTER DUTCH GLORY

By Phil Lanning

ROB CROSS vowed to “kick on for success” after picking up his FIFTH World Series title.

The 2018 world champion beat Stephen Bunting 8-5 in the final to win the Dutch Masters in Den Bosch. 

Voltage, 34, was relentless in his march to glory with victories over Jermaine Wattimena, Gerwyn Price and then Bunting. 

The World No.4 admitted: “It’s an important win for me. Obviously I had the heartbreak of the World Championship early exit. 

“I took some time out with my family and I feel ready to go again now. 

“If you would have said to me on Friday I’d win this, I wouldn’t have believed you. 

“But this week I started to feel hungry again. I’ve put in a bit more practice. Now I feel I can kick on for success. 

“It’s been a really tough few months. It’s not gone my way on TV for a while. This is just what I needed before the Winmau World Masters and Premier League.

“I think it’s about time I got a win in the Netherlands, I can’t even win a game here usually, let alone a title.

“This is the boost I need. Now I need to stay consistent and have a really big year.”

Cross showed clinical finishing all night in the 6-3 win over Wattimena and then 7-3 over Price. 

Bunting KO’d Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 and then world champion Luke Littler 7-6 in the semis.

He added: “If you’d said at the start of the tournament I’d be in the final, I would have took it. 

“Obviously these events take a lot out of you. To get to two finals is amazing. 

“To play a gentleman in Rob was a great final. He played a really good game, he had me under pressure from the start.”

Cross is now the fourth most successful player in the history of the World Series with five wins behind Michael van Gerwen (21), Phil Taylor (8) and Gary Anderson (6). 

Earlier in the night, the biggest clash between Littler and Van Gerwen ended up being a comfortable  6-3 win for The Nuke.