Mensur Suljovic ready to take on the world after journey from Balkan wars to Ally Pally

The names of darts folklore roll off the tongue: John Lowe, Eric Bristow, Phil ‘the Power’ Taylor, the latter set to bow out from the oche after this World Championship.

Mensur Suljovic aspires to join their lofty heights, ranked fifth and little known outside of the arrow-throwing world in which he has thrived in recent seasons.

At 57, Taylor admits father time has caught up with him while Suljovic, who idolises Taylor, has only just begun to make his mark this year at the age of 45, pocketing £368,500 in the process.

No one in the field can provide a less likely story that took him to London’s Ally Pally, a journey that began in Serbia and then onto Vienna when the Balkan wars forced his family to emigrate.

Of that life-changing move from his homeland, Suljovic gives few details of how he came to be in the Austrian capital except: “It was very difficult to escape from my homeland.

“My brothers were already in Austria but my parents stayed in Serbia and, of course, everything was new to me. But in Vienna I was very well received and, today, Austria has become a second home for me.”

In Serbia, he had never played darts, a relative latecomer to the oche in his early 20s, turning to tungsten in his brother’s pub in Austria. His game was refined in his own Vienna pub, The Gentle, and at Dartclub PM, also in the Austrian capital. He has since sold The Gentle, which is also his nickname.

Since then, his rise to the higher echelons of the game has been slow to the extent that exorbitant costs almost made him quit the sport in 2013, combined with a previous struggle with dartitis and his own throwing rhythm.

“I’ve never really doubted my ability but the financial pressure was always there,” he explains. “Many darts players fail because they cannot afford the huge travel costs.

“In 2013, I could not afford the travel expenses so nearly stopped but I have friends who always support me financially. They and my family always encouraged me to keep playing.”

It was not until 2015 that he believed he could making a living from darts and two years on he is beginning to truly reap the rewards. He won this year’s Champions League of Darts, defeating Gary Anderson 11-9 in the final, and already boasts a victory over the soon-to-retire Taylor, who he has looked up to for years.

“It was incredible to beat my big idol on such a big stage,” he said of a 10-3 victory over the former world No1 in which he averaged 105.5. “I think him being my idol was one of the reasons for my performance.”

At the PDC World Championship, the big wins have failed to materialise, Suljovic never making it past the third round. But he knows he is riding the crest of a wave as he prepares to open his title bid on Monday against 2004 runner-up Kevin Painter.

As for breaking up the title dominance at Ally Pally of Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Taylor, who have shared the spoils at the event in recent seasons, he is modest.

“I don’t expect to win the World Championship - it’s a difficult tournament as the pressure is so big,” he said. “But I never thought I could compete with the world’s top players yet I know I can now. Okay, maybe I have had a bit of luck this season but I think that’s because I’m really strong in my head. My will can move a lot.”