SMITH REFUSES OUTSIDE HELP IN COMEBACK

MICHAEL SMITH insists he will return to the winner’s circle ALONE without outside help after battling injury.

‘Bully Boy’ defeated Leon Weber 10-8 in a scrappy affair to reach the fifth round of the UK Open.

World No.32 Smith’s struggles away from the board have been well documented as he battles arthritis and a recurring shoulder issue. 

Smith admits he has had to cut back on practice but is adamant he will not turn to fellow pros or psychologists to rediscover his best form.

He said: “I’m doing about three and a half hours now. When I was world champion I was doing six or seven hours. 

“I could be in the practice room for five and a half hours but only do three and a half hours of throwing.  

“My ankle seizes up and my shoulder gets stiff, so I’ve got to stop and take breaks. Before I could just practise non-stop. 

“Hopefully I get back to where I was. If I’m going to come back, I want to do it myself.

“I don’t want anyone getting credit for it. It’s me and my family that do the work. 

“I don’t want someone in the background. It might help me, but I’m never going to do it.” 

The former world champion praised the atmosphere at Butlin’s in Minehead in the multi-board arena but was unhappy with his own performance. 

He added: “Of course it wasn’t what I wanted. But it’s about going to the next round and being in the hat for Saturday morning. That’s the main thing.

“Going from what I’ve been doing on the practice floor and then doing that all day on stage is weird. It’s annoying. 

“When Gezzy [Price] walked out they were all singing his name.  

“I had my headphones on at about 75% volume and I still said to him, ‘Mate, it’s louder than this.’ The noise was unreal in there.” 

Smith is confident a return to the top is coming and says bouncing back from setbacks is nothing new to him. 

He continued: “I might be ranked around 30 now instead of fourth like I was before, but I’m still the same person. 

“I’ve lost two world finals, a Premier League final, a Matchplay final and a European Tour final. I’ve had tough moments before and I kept bouncing back. 

“I just want to make it difficult for my opponent. 

“Losing is part of the game and winning is part of the game, but I don’t want to lose easily.  

“I want to make it as hard as possible for whoever I’m playing. When I’m doing that, that’s when I know I’m competing again.”

Smith returns to action on Saturday at the UK Open, where he will face Ryan Searle for a place in the last 16.

Image by Taylor Lanning.