Hendo Has One Eye on the Palace

John Henderson admits he’s got one eye on the Alexandra Palace after an opening day win in the Players Championship. The Huntly hurler beat Ryan Joyce 6-5 in a last leg decider in their opening clash in Minehead yesterday (Friday). Hendo admits that things have gone “downhill” since his incredible Premier League draw with Michael van Gerwen in Aberdeen earlier in the year. But now he’s focused on a big Worlds next month, saying: “I’m over the moon, my record here in Minehead isn’t very good. It’s nice to get a win, Ryan played very well and I played OK myself. “It was a very hard game but to get over the line is very pleasing to get into the next round. “I was 5-4 down and I just played and thought I’ve got the darts in the last leg so I hoped I could break him anyway. “I just held my nerve which I haven’t been lately but I did manage to do that today. To be in the mix for Saturday means a lot. “Since the Premier League when I played well it’s gone kind of downhill. I’ve done OK in the Pro Tours, making quarter-finals. “But it’s on these TV stages where I’ve not been performing well. Hopefully this weekend is the start of an improvement. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking of the Ally Pally, every other player is doing exactly the same. That’s the big one everyone wants to do well in. “But you want to be playing well going into it and to get a win like that for me today is very pleasing and gives me confidence.” Henderson now takes on Simon Whitlock today (Saturday) and wants a good run to boost his confidence. He added: “I’ve just to learn so much from that Premier League night, it’s just something I’ve never experienced, it was just amazing. “Playing in front of 4,500 home fans for me against the best player in the world and getting a result, well a draw, was sensational. If you can’t take anything from that, you’ll never get anything from any other situation. “I feel like I’m playing well but everyone else is as well. There’s no easy games and facing Simon Whitlock will be very hard.” By Phil Lanning (@lannomedia)