Michael Smith has insisted that the key to overcoming Mensur Suljovic in the first round of the PDC World Championship was to remain calm under pressure.
The former World Youth Champion came out on top 3-1 at Alexandra Palace, hitting a tournament-high nine 180s during the contest.
"Two years ago I wouldn't have won that match, but I just had my head focused on the game, I wasn't distracted and I just stuck to my game," Smith, the man who knocked Phil Taylor out of this competition 12 months ago, is quoted as saying by PDC.tv.
"I wasn't getting too carried away or too down on myself in the match, even though he was playing well and putting me under pressure, so I just kept calm and hit the crucial doubles when I needed to."
Next up for the 24-year-old is a meeting with Brendan Dolan in round two.
