Anderson hoping to compete
World number four believes he will recover from injury
in time
Gary Anderson remains hopeful of being fit to play in
next week's World Matchplay tournament at Blackpool's
Winter Gardens.
The
Scot pulled out of the recent German Darts Championship after struggling to
focus through his left eye, missing the subsequent Players Championships in
Crawley and the European Darts Open in Dusseldorf.
The
41-year-old has been undergoing treatment and specialists hope he can recover
without needing an operation on the tear duct in his eye.
"I'm
still taking eye drops and will keep doing so until the problem clears up, and
I'll hopefully be fine for the World Matchplay." --Gary Anderson
Recovery
"It's
been a hard time but hopefully I'm on the road to recovery," said Anderson.
"My
eyeball was drying up and every time I blinked it was like I was rubbing
sandpaper over my eye.
"I'm
still taking eye drops and will keep doing so until the problem clears up, and
I'll hopefully be fine for the World Matchplay.
"I'd
been struggling to focus with my left eye previously - and I block my right eye
with my dart when I throw - but I'm getting back into my practice now and
looking forward to getting to Blackpool."
Mentor
Anderson will have an added
incentive at this year's World Matchplay following the qualification of Michael
Smith, who the former Premier League Darts champion has managed for the past 18
months.
Smith,
21, has continued his emergence this year by winning a second Players
Championship title in January, and will play Raymond van Barneveld in the first
round at the Winter Gardens.
"Michael's
done well this year and I'm pleased that he's qualified," added Anderson,
who is also mentoring another youngster, Adam Hunt.
"He's
still finding his feet on the big stage and learning how to play in front of
the television cameras, but if he settles down early in his match he has a
great chance.
"He'll
certainly give Raymond a hard game - I know how well he can play, and if he can
produce that form on stage it would be no surprise if he wins."
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