Lightning rise shocks Voltage

● World champion prepares for defence

Rob Cross can scarcely believe how fast his journey from armchair arrows fan to world champion was.

The former electrician went from watching the World Championship on television to winning it in only 12 months.

Now Cross, nicknamed Voltage due to his profession, is plotting a defence to the title he won on New Year’s Day when the action gets under way at the Alexandra Palace today.

“I can remember when I wasn’t playing at Christmas we’d always put the darts on. It was always special to me even before I was a professional,” the Kent 28-year-old said.

“It is just phenomenal when you go there. It’s the biggest one, it’s the one that everyone wants and if you can get it then it’s life-changing.

“I’ve always had the ability to know that I could become No 1 in the world, I believe I can play better. But the timeframe takes some believing in how everything happened. It was very quick.”

The demands of being one of the big guns took its toll as results in 2018 have not lived up to expectations.

“It’s different in a lot of ways. I’m not a person who craves attention and then all of a sudden you are getting it and it’s new because you are not used to that,” added Cross.

“Things have changed. It’s not all about throwing darts, it’s about what’s going on in the background. Next year will be better anyway.

“I am a better player, better mentally, but as there are more pressures put on I probably did dip through the year.

“I couldn’t carry on at the same rate I was going. No one can do that in sport. Everyone has to have a little bit of a down period.

Cross’ defence could face a stern test in the second round as he is likely to face Jeffrey de Zwaan – a man who has twice beaten Michael Van Gerwen this year.

Cross said: “You have to go there and perform well and if you don’t anyone can bite you on the bum. They’re all there on merit.”