MICHAEL SMITH admitted he is still battling low energy after a “dreadful” week of illness.
The World No31 averaged just 86.40 as he saw off James Hurrell 6-2 in a scrappy first-round clash at the German Darts Grand Prix.
The former world champ confessed the contest turned into a bizarre battle as both players struggled to find any rhythm on stage.
Smith revealed he has been far from his best due to struggling with sickness.
He said: “James was struggling and I started to follow him struggling. He started hitting 140s and then so did I.
“It was a weird game, everything just went wrong but at the last minute everything went right at the same time.
“This last week has been dreadful. I have had no energy whatsoever, feeling sick.
“I have not been playing the greatest because I have had to have a little time away from practice.
“I think you have seen that in the ProTours and the qualifiers for Graz and Sindelfingen.”
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World No 31 Michael Smith has shown signs of a resurgence after reaching the quarter finals of the Poland Masters but he is still searching for consistency on the big stage.
Smith now faces Dave Chisnall in round two at the Kulturhalle Zenith and is expecting a fierce contest against one of his oldest rivals.
He added: “We used to live literally five minutes apart, especially in St Helens where we grew up.
“He was one of the main lads I started practising with when I started my career. It has always been like that.
“We are really good friends. I know what Chizzy can do and he knows what I can do.
“It doesn’t matter how bad we have been playing, we can get the best out of each other.”
