December 30th 2024.
Nathan Aspinall is voicing his desire for more acknowledgement and appreciation within the world of darts. Despite his impressive accomplishments, he feels that the media often overlooks him and underestimates his abilities. This sentiment was once again reinforced after his comfortable 4-0 victory over Ricardo Pietreczko, securing his spot in the quarter-finals of the World Championship on Monday afternoon.
Although Aspinall played well, it was hard to ignore the fact that Pietreczko struggled greatly, finishing with a low average of 78.46. He seemed to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event and the unfriendly reception from the London crowd. Aspinall has only lost one set in his journey to the quarter-finals, where he will face either Luke Littler or Ryan Joyce. Despite his strong performance, he believes that he deserves more recognition from the press.
This year has not been particularly remarkable for the 33-year-old on tour, and he was not considered a top contender heading into the Alexandra Palace. However, with two major titles and two semi-final appearances at Ally Pally in the past, Aspinall believes that he should have been given more credit. "You underestimate me, all of you," he stated during a post-match press conference. "I never receive the respect that I deserve. I may not be as vocal as Joe Cullen, but I constantly feel like I am being written off. I am a two-time major champion and an exceptional dart player."
Aspinall's determination and resilience are evident in his words as he continues to prove his critics wrong time and time again. He is determined to go up on that stage and prove all those who have doubted him wrong. Despite his frustrations, he acknowledges that he is less concerned about the opinions of others than he used to be. He is currently enjoying himself on the oche and is focused on playing his best darts.
"I'll do my thing. I've moved past the point of worrying about what others think of me. It's been years and years of that, and I don't care anymore," Aspinall shared. "I am going to go up there, play my game, and enjoy myself. I have a fantastic life, my family is taken care of, and I am making a living by playing darts. What more could I ask for?"
Aspinall is well aware that his next match will be a more challenging one, as he will most likely face either Littler or Joyce. He couldn't help but comment on the strange ease of his previous match against Pietreczko. "It was odd how he just couldn't seem to hit anything, wasn't it?" he remarked. "I spoke to him after the game, and we ended up chatting more today than we have in my entire career. He's a lovely guy, but he needs to learn from this experience. The atmosphere was definitely hostile, but he will become accustomed to it. I know that if I were to play Ricardo in Germany, I would be facing the same thing. But once you've been through it a few times, you learn to adapt. I wish him all the best."
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