Jonny Tata stuns Peter Wright at the New Zealand Darts Masters
Jonny Tata enjoyed a dream big stage debut as he dumped Peter Wright out of the New Zealand Darts Masters in Hamilton on Friday.
Truck driver Tata, making his first appearance in a televised event, took advantage of an out of sorts ‘Snakebite’ to prevail 6-3 in their First Round tie.
Tata had only confirmed his place in a first televised event when he came through last month’s DPNZ Qualifiers in Christchurch, but has made an immediate impression on the big stage.
Wright led 2-1 in the early stages, but saw Tata level with a 14-darter and also finish 62 to break throw in a run of four straight legs to move 5-2 ahead.
A miss at tops for victory allowed Wright to keep his hopes alive briefly with double 11, but Tata was first to a finish in the next and he took out 84 to seal the biggest result of his career.
“It’s an unreal feeling, I can’t really explain it,” said the 30-year-old. “It’s something I thought would never happen, and it did!
“Even to compete against Peter Wright I was happy, so coming out with the win on top is something magical. I’m absolutely thrilled.
“It’s something I was so excited for and I suppose the nerves weren’t there as much as I thought they would have been. Once I got onto stage, everything fell into place.”
Tata will now meet another former World Champion – Rob Cross – in Saturday’s Quarter-Finals after he overcame Kiwi veteran Warren Parry 6-3.
Home favourite Haupai Puha also pulled off an impressive scalp as he knocked out Dimitri van den Bergh with a commanding 6-2 success.
Van den Bergh established a 2-1 lead, finishing 86 in the opener before hitting six perfect darts in an 11-darter in leg three, but Puha finished 110, 112 and 126 in three of the next four legs as he surged into a 5-2 lead, before completing a huge win on double one in the next.
“It’s awesome,” admitted Puha. “To do what I did in front of the New Zealand crowd is an honour and a privilege.
“I’m very happy – it’s one of the best moments of my career. I treated it like it was just another game in the garage.
“The practice wasn’t too good but getting up there I was hitting what I wanted to hit – I did the checkouts that I needed to do.”
Puha’s Quarter-Final opponent will be Nathan Aspinall, after the newly-crowned World Matchplay champion saw off Kiwi youngster Kayden Milne 6-2.
Milne had defeated Fallon Sherrock in Hamilton last year on his big-stage debut, and raised hopes of another upset when he took the opening leg against Aspinall.
The world number five, though, found his range to win four straight legs and then landed an 11-darter to move 5-1 up, and though Milne briefly kept his hopes alive, a 68 checkout saw Aspinall progress.
Reigning champion Gerwyn Price made an impressive start to his title defence at the GLOBOX Arena with a dominant 6-1 win over Simon Whitlock.
The Australian took the game’s opening leg, but clinical checkouts of 92 and 149 edged Price ahead as he sparked a run of six straight legs to close out victory.
“I felt comfortable up there,” said Price. “The crowd were supporting me right from the beginning, which is good, and they were brilliant.
“I’m here to do a job and hopefully win this tournament.”
Price will now meet Danny Noppert – who proved too strong for DPNZ number one Ben Robb as he prevailed 6-2 with a 98 average.
The Dutch star finished 118 in the opening leg and took out 120 during a clinical four-leg burst which moved him 5-1 up.
A missed match dart allowed Robb to hit back, but the New Zealander was unable to continue his revival as Noppert progressed.
World Champion Michael Smith was taken all the way to a deciding leg by World Series debutant Darren Penhall before edging through with a narrow 6-5 triumph.
DPA number one Penhall took the game’s opening two legs before a 120 checkout for a 12-darter sparked Smith into life as he took the next three.
The pair traded the next five legs as the tie moved to a sudden-death leg, where Smith fired in his fourth 180 before posting double eight to complete a hard-fought win.
He now meets Australia’s Damon Heta – who ended the hopes of New Zealand’s Darren Herewini to book a quarter-final spot, taking a 3-0 lead before wrapping up a 6-2 win with a 110 checkout.
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New Zealand Darts Masters 2023 Day One Results
Friday August 4
First Round
Rob Cross 6-3 Warren Parry
Damon Heta 6-2 Darren Herewini
Dimitri Van den Bergh 2-6 Haupai Puha
Peter Wright 3-6 Jonny Tata
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Kayden Milne
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Simon Whitlock
Michael Smith 6-5 Darren Penhall
Danny Noppert 6-2 Ben Robb
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