Home / Sports / Bunting Out! Aussie Star Stuns NZ Darts Masters
Bunting Out! Aussie Star Stuns NZ Darts Masters
14 Aug
Summary
- Raymond Smith defeated Stephen Bunting 6-2 in Auckland.
- Smith's victory included five unanswered legs and high accuracy.
- Several top seeds advanced despite Bunting's early exit.
Raymond Smith caused a major upset at the New Zealand Darts Masters, eliminating third seed Stephen Bunting in the last 16. Smith secured a decisive 6-2 victory in Auckland, notably winning five consecutive legs. He maintained a high average of 99.81 and converted an impressive 86% of his doubles, sealing the win with a 124 checkout. Smith expressed his delight at returning to PDC stages after an eight-year hiatus, attributing his success to developing regional darts programs.
In other matches, top seed Gian van Veen demonstrated strong form with a 6-1 win over Jonny Tata, advancing to face Jonny Clayton. Clayton, the 2022 runner-up, staged a comeback from a 4-2 deficit to defeat local favourite Haupai Puha. Gerwyn Price, the 2022 champion, secured a comfortable 6-1 victory against Mark Cleaver and will play Damon Heta. Josh Rock and James Wade are also set to compete against each other in the quarter-finals, having defeated Simon Whitlock and Kayden Milne respectively.
