Martin Lukeman steps into the biggest game of his darts career this evening (Sunday) – a maiden major semi-final against Mickey Mansell. Both players have shocked the draw to move one step away from the Grand Slam of Darts final, but Lukeman desires something more important than his personal triumph.
The 39-year-old stunned world No. 4 Rob Cross in the quarter-finals, recovering from 5-1 down to win 16-11.
Earlier on Friday, his semi-final opponent, Mansell, also fought back from a heavy early deficit to better Cameron Menzies 16-15 in a classic.
Lukeman will know he is within touching distance of a staggering £150,000 jackpot if he defeats the Northern Irishman in Wolverhampton.
However, ‘Smash’ has revealed he’s more interested in sharing his first piece of major silverware with his wife.
His partner, Mel, has been battling cancer for two years. The dreaded disease has gone, but she still faces a series of prevention operations in an ongoing fight.
And while he plans to treat his wife to a lush holiday in the Maldives with his Grand Slam winnings, he dreams of sharing the stage and the trophy with Mel.
“My wife has been through so much over the past two years, and she’s still got a lot more to go through,” Lukeman explained.
“She hasn’t got cancer anymore. It’s all prevention operations now. She’s a trooper. She isn’t going to leave me.
“She had six months of chemo until last March. There were a couple of operations. I didn’t want to play darts, but she kicked my a**e out.
“She also still drove me to play as well even though she was having treatment. I said I’d get the train, but she insisted on driving me. She told me to get my head on and just play darts.
“I’m not bothered about winning the money. All I want is a picture of my wife Mel and I on that stage with the trophy.
“The wives and girlfriends go through so much s**t with us players. It’s just crap with us losing, winning, bad moods. My wife drives miles for me just so I can keep practising. I want to win it for her.
“We are going to Thailand in January but I want to treat her to the Maldives the January after so she can enjoy herself.”
Watford’s tungsten talent, the world No 41, already took out a heavyweight in Peter Wright earlier in the tournament.
But Lukeman’s breathtaking triumph over Cross established his credentials as a potential Grand Slam champion, which he could be about to realise.
