WADE VOWS TO “KEEP FIGHTING” AFTER EPIC WIN
17/11/2023 By Phil Lanning
JAMES WADE vowed to “keep fighting” after winning through to the Grand Slam semi-finals.
The Aldershot hotshot came back from 15-12 down to beat Josh Rock 16-15 in an epic clash in Wolverhampton on Friday night.
Then Luke Humphries also battled back to overcome Gary Anderson 16-14 in another Slam classic.
Wade said: “To hit the doubles like I did at the end, there’s not many players who can do that.
“I got a bit lucky, Josh was way better than me tonight. I’m still not at my best but I’ll always keep fighting.
“I don’t think there’s anyone better than me in those high-pressure situations, but I have to be good in those moments because other players score better than me.
“When I got the chance at double 14 I thought Christmas had come early, then I hit double 11 and thought ‘you silly boy!’ Thankfully I hit probably the best double three of my life.
“I enjoyed the interaction with the crowd tonight, they were brilliant to me and I’m looking forward to coming back on Sunday.”
An astonishing display from Humphries saw him average 103.56 to come out on top of a high-class encounter with Anderson.
Humphries, who lifted TV silverware for the first time at October’s World Grand Prix, came back from 1-5 and 4-8 down to reach the semi-finals for a second successive year.
He said: “It was a pleasure to share the stage with one of the greats of the game at his best.
“It really meant a lot to me, we both played a fantastic game which was a privilege to be part of.
“I think I showed a lot of bottle at the end, Gary threw everything at me but I just kept digging in which is testament to the new temperament I’ve got.
“This has been a breakthrough year for me, it’s been the year I’ve always dreamed of, but I’m hungry for more.”
Saturday’s action at WV Active Aldersley will see the final two quarter-final ties take place, as Michael van Gerwen’s conqueror Damon Heta takes on three-time quarter-finalist Rob Cross.
Meanwhile, the evening’s opener sees America’s Stowe Buntz looking to continue his fairytale Grand Slam debut against the in-form Stephen Bunting.
Images by Taylor Lanning.
