Searle is on the cusp of qualifying for the World Matchplay for the first time in his career; Heavy Metal is dreaming of taking on his darting hero Anderson on his Blackpool bow later this month
Thursday 1 July 2021 22:22, UK
Ryan Searle is on the cusp of fulfilling a dream by qualifying for next month's World Matchplay, and now he is eyeing a potential showdown against his practice partner and darting idol Gary Anderson at the Winter Gardens.
Searle reached his first ranking final of 2021 at Players Championship 14 earlier this month, which leaves him £4,250 above the final Matchplay qualification place with just four Pro Tour events remaining before the Blackpool cut-off.
The Somerset star defeated Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals at Super Series 4 to avenge his World Championship defeat to 'The Bullet', and with Bunting sat just outside the provisional qualification places, its importance could not be underestimated.
Download, subscribe and rate
"I knew the game against Stephen Bunting in the semi-final was a massive game, so I was happy to get over the line," Searle told the Darts Show podcast.
"I try not to look at the rankings too much but it's hard, because it is a tournament that I've always really wanted to qualify for. I have put myself in a decent position now, so hopefully we can get over the line.
"If I was to turn up at the next Super Series and just squeak over the line and not play very well, then it doesn't really send out much of a message to whoever I draw at the Matchplay, so I'd like to make another final, or maybe win one," he added.
The World Championship is the pinnacle for any professional dart player, but for those outside the Premier League bubble, the Matchplay is touted as the second biggest prize in the sport.
The iconic Winter Gardens is also a special arena. The building, the history, the atmosphere - it has played host to some of the great performers, and 'Heavy Metal' is desperate to join that illustrious list.
"I have never been to Blackpool as a fan, I have always watched it on TV and it's always the one that players go on about as their favourite place to play so that adds to the extra pressure of wanting to qualify.
"The last couple of years I have only just missed out. I think I missed out by £1,000 last year so that was absolutely gutting. That run last week has given me a good opportunity to qualify now."
"It is no secret - I have said that Gary has always been my favourite player. Before I even started playing darts, I used to enjoy watching Gary play."
Searle would be pitted against one of the world's top 16 if he were to qualify, but he is already envisaging his Blackpool bow coming against his darting hero Gary Anderson - the 2018 Matchplay champion.
"I reckon me and Gary will draw each other if I qualify. I'm calling it now," he laughed.
"It is no secret - I have said that Gary has always been my favourite player. Before I even started playing darts, I used to enjoy watching Gary play.
"I drew him in my very first weekend on the tour. I won my first game and then I played Gary. He absolutely hammered me, but when I was on the oche I couldn't believe that I was playing against my hero."
'The Flying Scotsman' spoke about Searle in glowing terms throughout his run to the World Championship final in January, outlining his desire to rub shoulders with 'Heavy Metal' on the practice board in 2021.
The pair - who live approximately 45 minutes apart in the South West - have been practising together over the last six weeks or so, and Searle insists Anderson still possesses the old magic.
"We have had a few sessions and it's great, and he is an absolute machine as well. We have had some great games," he continued.
"There is a story I like to tell people. A couple of weeks ago I went up and he hadn't thrown a dart since he lost his last game in the Premier League, so it was a good two and a half or three weeks after that.
"He had about a two-minute warm-up, and we always play first to six [legs]. In the very first match, he had a 112.5 average and he hadn't picked up a dart for two and a half weeks. It was insane. He took out a 139, a 140. Just incredible."
However, Searle also possesses the ammunition to conquer the world's best - evidenced by his maiden Pro Tour triumph in 2020, which saw him topple Glen Durrant, Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen en route to glory.
The 33-year-old is also no stranger to defying the odds. He suffers with astigmatism which causes blurred vision; therefore he often cannot see where his darts land.
However, despite battling his eyesight as well as his opponents, he's on the verge of breaking into the world's top 32 - a mission he will almost certainly achieve if he wraps up Matchplay qualification at Coventry's Ricoh Arena.
"I love playing on TV. That is what every dart player dreams of. I think what comes with that is that extra focus, that will win," Searle admitted.
"The floor form is always a little bit up and down, but when I'm on it, I feel like I can beat anyone.
"The next thing is really to push on and try and get into the top 32. Obviously getting into the top 32 is where you want to be, but I don't want to be 32nd or 31st, when you're playing the No 1 or No 2 in the last 32 of events all the time!"
Darts is back on your Sky Sports screens in July, with nine days of coverage from the iconic Winter Gardens and the World Matchplay - the action gets underway on Saturday July 17
