It was Cross’ fifth World Tour title and his first on European soil after previously winning tournaments in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Cross came out on top after his battle with Bunting – winner of the Bahrain Darts Masters one week prior to the tournament in the Netherlands – thanks to continuing an excellent finishing form which saw 'Voltage' finish all three of Saturday’s games with checkout percentages above 50 percent.
But it wasn’t the finishing which Cross would relish as the biggest takeaway. “You’ve got to have the endurance,” Cross told Flashscore during the post-match press conference.
“I think for me it’s that desire to win. I’m very focused today. Usually I give off the big celebrations here and there and you can lose concentration by doing that, but I’ve really concentrated today. I’ve knuckled down, I’ve tried to put my best foot forward, I suppose. I could have gone up there on it saying ‘give it a billy’, and then all of a sudden come back with nothing.
“The determination and the focus what I’ve had today dragged me through and I’m very grateful.”
Although it was the key to success in the Netherlands, Cross’ famed determination will not be the secret ingredient to more World Tour success according to the freshly crowned champion.
“I think when I'm back into it, hopefully it's a little bit easier. I've had to break a sweat today to win this and that's no lie.”
World Tour
The darts calendar resumes January 30th with the kickoff of the World Masters in Milton Keynes, although Cross will be looking forward to the next World Tour in Denmark where the Nordic Darts Masters will be held on June 6 and 7.
“I love the World Tour. I'm very fond to it and I enjoy going around the world as much as we all might moan here and there about the flights and stuff.
“Without it, I’d just have an average job and just be a normal person, carry on working the way I was. So yeah, very grateful to the game.”
View all statistics of the Dutch Darts Masters on Flashscore.