Damon Heta launches World Darts Championship complaint as star feels the heat | Other | Sport
Damon Heta is calling for a window to be opened after nearly succumbing to the intense heat inside the sweltering Alexandra Palace. The Australian star is set for a third-round showdown with Rob Cross on Sunday at the World Darts Championship, following a hard-won pre-Christmas victory over Stefan Bellmont.
Ironically, despite his nickname being The Heat and hailing from the scorching climate of Australia, it was the stifling conditions inside the Ally Pally that almost defeated him in his match against the Swiss player. Heta is calling for some fresh air in the venue and said: “In the practice room, perfect conditions, everything’s right. Come out and it felt like opening an oven door. A bit stale and straight away you felt it. It was hot and your hands were sweating and everything. My first game wasn’t like that. I don’t know why. Someone needs to open a window or something.
“It got me. I didn’t think it would be like this. I did hear from someone [Tim Pusey] and then I went out and I was like: Oh jeez. But I got my mindset right, I’m alright, you’ve got a fight here, you’ve got a battle and just throw the darts that feel good just let it rip.”
Heta recognises the intense challenge ahead when he faces Cross and added: “I’ve got to step my game up. There’s no two ways about it. I know what I can do.
!My checkout percentage is half decent and I can score, so if that all comes to party, it’s gonna it’s a tough job for Rob as well, but I know he’s a world champion he knows what it’s about, so it’s definitely an uphill battle for myself. I’ve really worked hard for the opportunity but you’ve got to take it.”
Heta has returned to fundamentals by using his older equipment after experimenting with changes and explained: “With my originals, I stuck with them for a few years and things were pretty good, but I probably look for percentages changing. I’m not naive to maybe: I could do this. And I could do that. And maybe that might get me over the line.
“I’ve been playing alright or pretty good, but it hasn’t worked out to where I’d like it to be, so I look back and I’m just going: My best stats are with these, I’m just going back to them, let’s go. Keep it simple, stupid.
“You can overdo yourself can’t you? Tinker with a lot of things. It’d be stupid of me not to [try], so I did it, it hasn’t worked out, back to the originals and now I have a bit of confidence with it.
“I don’t leave any stone unturned and that’s with any tournament and that’s what I do. So for me to come out like that just proves everything and I’ve done has worked really well. I battled really hard and I know I’ve got the stones, so happy days.”
