Michael Smith secured a 6-2 victory over James Hurrell at the German Darts Grand Prix on Saturday, April 4, 2026, but admitted he was far from his best due to illness. Speaking to DartsNews after the match, Smith downplayed the quality of the contest, highlighting physical challenges both players faced. He revealed he has been struggling with illness over the past week, saying, "I've been ill for the last week, no energy whatsoever, and I think you just saw that on stage." Despite this, he emphasized there are no injury concerns, stating, "Injury-wise, all good... Feet feel fine, wrist, shoulder—everything's good."
Smith was critical of his own performance, noting, "I don't think there was a performance involved. He was struggling and I wasn't. I just took my chances, especially that first leg. We both just struggled, and that's been happening to me for the last week or so with being ill." He added that his ailments are starting to wane and focused on the win, saying, "I just got on stage, got the win, and I'm back tomorrow now, and that's the main thing." The victory moves him into the next round, where he will face Dave Chisnall.
Despite the win, Smith insisted rankings and prize money are not his primary focus at this stage of his career. He explained, "I'm not bothered just now. It's about just keeping winning matches and doing my thing. I've won the World Championship, I've been World No. 1, so there's not a position I haven't been in, and there's not a position I haven't had to climb out of. I dropped down to 16, got back up to No. 1, dropped to 7, got back to 4—so it doesn't bother me whatsoever. It's just about turning up and winning matches, and if I win matches, the rankings take care of themselves."
Smith also praised the Munich crowd, where he has previously enjoyed success. He said, "I always love coming here. They're always amazing—unless you're playing a German! Whenever you're not playing a German, they're an amazing crowd. I was lucky enough to win here a couple of years ago, and I'd love to come back and do it again because there's no better city to win in than Munich." With a place in the next round secured, Smith now aims to raise his level against Chisnall, hoping a return to full health will allow him to hit top form once again.
