By Phil Lanning

ROB CROSS admits he was determined to “silence the haters” who dubbed him the fluke World Champion.

The Hastings star beat Michael Smith in an epic World Matchplay final 18-13 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

It meant Cross joined an elite club of darting royalty alongside Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson as the only players to have won the World Championships and Matchplay titles.

But for Voltage it was even sweeter, admitting: “I’ve heard it all over the past 18 months. I knew everyone was saying that I was a one-hit wonder and I’d fluked the Worlds and would never win anything again.

“I know what I’m capable of but I did struggle to deal with being World Champion, especially after only being a professional for 18 months.

“It’s still only three years since I did this full-time. I’m years behind the likes of Michael, Gary, James Wade for experience.

They’ve all been playing full-time for over a decade, if not more.

“But the way it works now with social media, everyone has got a voice. Obviously everyone has an opinion and they are entitled to that.

“In a funny way it spurred me on a bit to know that people were questioning me. It’s still only my third year yet I’ve won the Worlds and reached the Premier League final, UK Open final and now won the Matchplay. That’s not bad going at all.

“I’ve still only started this journey, I’m still the baby really. But I’m learning something new about myself every week in this game. I don’t make the same mistakes and I improve.

“I guess the most satisfying thing right now is that I’ve silenced the haters. I’ve still got a lot more to a achieve but I’ve proved I’m not a one-hit wonder.”

Cross admitted that he gave the Matchplay trophy straight to his son Leyton – after he’d nagged him to win more silverware.

He said: “I had to give the trophy straight to my boy. He asked me three years ago that he wanted me to get a big trophy so I gave him the Worlds.

“Then he has been nagging me saying ‘dad you haven’t given me a big trophy for so long’. I mean it’s only been 18 months but you know what kids are like!

“I saw his face at the Premier League final after Michael van Gerwen beat me and it broke my heart.

“It’s the best feeling in the world when that last dart goes in and I know I can get Leyton up onto the stage. It’s made his night and my family and that’s all that counts.

“I have to admit that this year I have felt like a new person and I’ve gained a lot of confidence.

“Obviously, recently, I’d had a bit of a drought in terms of titles even counting the floor events.

“I’d like to congratulate Michael because he’s played well all week. He will win one of these. It’s only a matter of time, but he had a below-par performance and I’m just so happy that I won.”

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Exclusive by Phil Lanning

THE Rocket has turned into the Bolt.

Emil Sayfutdinov is racking up gold medals like legendary sprinter Usain. But just that bit quicker.

The red-hot Russian delivered his fourth gold at the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations just a couple of weeks ago.

That was to go with two World Under-21 titles and the SoN he first won a year ago. When you add in a couple of Euro golds and multiple league titles in Poland and Sweden, he’s now the magnificent motorcyclist with the Midas Touch.

But while Sayfutdinov has a stack of gold bullion more than the Italian Job bus hanging off the side of a cliff, he’s missing one piece from his glorious collection.

That’s the individual World Championship gold.

Russian Rocket Sayfutdinov has got a bronze, now he needs that to be shinier and two shades lighter and higher.

However, this spiritual, loveable racer takes it all in his stride.

He told me: “I quite like the comparison to Usain Bolt, I would definitely like nine gold medals. I am not as fast as him without a bike though!

“I think it’s funny, in some ways we are quite similar. He is very focused like me but also relaxed when he has to be and spiritual.

“Being able to switch off from sport is just as important as being very dedicated. You need head space all the time to make the right directions.

“I am more relaxed this year, definitely. I am very grateful of what I have achieved over the past couple of years. 

“We have had good times at Unia Leszno and of course the two Speedway of Nations wins for Russia, I will never ever forget how good what a great feeling.

“It is very special to win for your country, sometimes even more than for myself. I don’t know but I’d like to be able to compare the feeling!

“I feel we had much more pressure to win this year in Togliatti, that was maybe much harder for us to accept. We didn’t want to let down our own fans. They didn’t put the pressure on, we put the pressure on ourselves.

“I think we knew how awesome it would be to win the Nations in front of our home fans. But we dare not dream about it.

“In the end it all worked out just perfect. It was tough and we had to really work hard to get to the final. 

“However I felt we would win whichever gate positions. That feeling of going over the finish line was one of the best in my life.”

Sayfutdinov has emerged in the pacesetters now for the Grand Prix title as he chases down that elusive final gold medal.

But he refuses to get carried away with World Championship title talk. He added: “I have to be boring and say the usual thing, it’s one GP at a time.

“Right now we have a good set-up and better starts, but I know I have to improve all the time. Now though I feel very good on my bike.

“I must keep making GP finals now for the rest of the year. If I do that then I will be close to a medal and hopefully gold. 

“In the past though things have changed so much at this point of the season. I was winning the Championship in 2013 and I got injured. So you can never expect it to be easy. But I will fight hard, always.”

Sayfutdinov is clearly ready for the sprint to the finish.

And maybe another glorious gold.

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By Phil Lanning

CAMERON MENZIES admits his best performance in the PDC means “nothing” unless he gets a tour card.

The Ayrshire ace KO’d top stars Adrian Lewis and Michael Smith on the way to the quarter-finals of the Austrian Championship at the weekend.

It was the first £5,000 Menzies had won on the Order of Merit in the PDC before finally being beaten by Vincent van der Voort.

However, Menzies has got his focus on grabbing his tour card by winning the Challenge Tour later this month.

He said: “Beating Michael and Adrian were some of the best wins I’ve ever had. I’m absolutely buzzing.

“Michael’s one of the best players in the world at the moment and he didn’t play anywhere near his standards, but I’m happy with that.

“To be honest I’m pretty disappointed that I didn’t go further but Vinny was on fire at the weekend and just had too much for me in the quarters.

“But I’ve got to forget about the weekend now. It’s good for confidence and it shows what I can do when I get my head right.

“The big one for me is Wigan at the end of this month. I’m leading the Challenge Tour and if I do enough on the final weekend, I’ll get my tour card at last. The weekend means nothing unless I get that card at last.

“That’s the most important job for me. The Tour Card is massive and could be life changing for me. So I’ve just got to get my head down and work on that.”

Menzies, 30, beat Kevin Munch 6-1 and then Lewis and Smith 6-2 as he roared through the event eventually won by Mensur Suljovic.

But typical of wacky Menzies he revealed on Twitter that he didn’t know he’d won £5k after the PDC had announced what a great weekend it had been for him.

He added: “Winning the money was a bonus, I don’t really think of it to be fair. So it was a nice surprise when I saw the PDC Twitter post and I was tagged in on it.

“It’s good to get a wee bonus of five grand. But I won’t be celebrating just yet until I get that tour card at the end of the month.”

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