‘He couldn’t remember my name’ – James Wade accused of disrespect by rival who beat him at Grand Slam of Darts
MICKEY MANSELL is making a name for himself at this week’s Grand Slam of Darts – despite opponent James Wade forgetting it during their group stage match.
The 51-year-old has made it into the quarter-finals of a TV darts major for the first time.
Mansell hit an impressive 99 average as he beat former UK Open champion Danny Noppert on Wednesday night.
The 10-7 victory sends the Clonoe Cyclone into a last-eight showdown with Scot Cameron Menzies.
Menzies saw off Wade in the last round, just days after Mansell had beaten the Englishman in the group stages.
But Mansell claimed Wade had forgotten his name after the pair did battle in Wolverhampton.
He said: “[Wade] couldn’t remember my name three days ago so he’ll probably not remember me beating him.
“If you tell somebody what you don’t want, he’ll get more of it.”
Mansell, the world No. 56, has been on the PDC Tour since 2011.
The Northern Irishman is having a tournament to remember and was lethal on the doubles against Noppert, hitting 10/15.
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He continued: “I’m ecstatic to be through.
“The field I’ve come through so far, it’s a confidence boost that I’m not here by luck and I’ve played very well to be in the position that I am.
“The three days in a row playing on this stage is a big advantage and winning in the group I was in and coming out of it, it gave me a lot of confidence.
“I had to put things into perspective. The best player in the world and the world number one [Luke Humphries] was in that group so to get beaten by him on Monday wasn’t a disappointment.
“I was glad of the day off to have a mental switch-off.”
Mansell takes on Menzies on Friday, with Martin Lukeman and Rob Cross also through to the quarter-finals.
Teenage sensation Luke Littler goes in Thursday’s last-16, which also features Mike De Decker, Stephen Bunting, and Gary Anderson.