Rob Cross reigns at the New South Wales Masters to seal successive World Series titles
Rob Cross made it back-to-back World Series titles as he thrashed Damon Heta 8-1 in the final of the New South Wales Darts Masters in Wollongong.
Cross, who triumphed at last week’s New Zealand Masters, completed a memorable double with an emphatic victory over Australian number one Heta.
Heta famously defeated Cross to win the Brisbane Masters in 2019, but there was to be no repeat at the WIN Entertainment Centre, as the 2018 World Champion scooped the £20,000 top prize.
Cross kicked off his campaign with a routine win over DPNZ qualifier John Hurring in Friday’s opening round, before defying a ton-plus average from Danny Noppert to win a high-quality Quarter-Final.
The world number five recovered from 4-3 down to end the Dutchman’s spirited resistance, before averaging 109 to ruthlessly whitewash Peter Wright in the Semi-Finals.
The 32-year-old produced a brace of 11-darters in his rout of two-time World Champion Wright, converting 64 per cent of his attempts at double to cap off an imperious display.
Having won ten legs without reply in reaching Saturday’s final, Cross punished early misses from Heta to establish a commanding 4-0 lead.
The Australian was desperately struggling in the scoring department and Cross capitalised, extending his remarkable run of winning legs to 17 to move a leg away from a whitewash win.
Heta avoided that indignity by taking out 68 with Cross poised on double 18, but this simply delayed the inevitable, as Cross sank double eight moments later to cap off a demolition job.
“It feels fantastic. It’s surreal,” reflected Cross. “The crowd have been brilliant all tournament. I’ve really enjoyed my time in Australia and New Zealand, and I’m very grateful.
“Damon didn’t turn up in the final and I feel for him a little bit, but you’ve still got a job to do.
“I think I’m in a good place after the last couple of weeks. I’m enjoying my darts again.”
Heta delighted the partisan crowd in Wollongong with thrilling wins over Gerwyn Price and Dimitri van den Bergh on Saturday, but fell just short in his bid for glory on home soil.
The 36-year-old fired in a 152 checkout and a match-winning 124 in his 6-3 win over top seed Price in the Last Eight, before producing a superb comeback to deny Van den Bergh.
The Belgian led 5-3 in a race to seven, but after reeling off three consecutive legs to turn the tide, Heta then landed a timely 14-darter in the decider to reach his first televised final of 2023.
Despite succumbing to Cross in the evening’s finale, Heta’s exploits saw him awarded the Kyle Anderson Memorial Trophy – created to remember the late Australian.
“This is massive. This means more to me than winning the title. I’m lost for words,” said an emotional Heta, who was a childhood friend of Anderson’s.
“If it wasn’t for Kyle, I might not even be here. He led the way for myself. He showed us the path, and I’ve stepped up and tried to take over.
“I’m absolutely stoked. This is definitely something I am going to treasure for ever.”
Elsewhere, Wright dumped out World Champion Michael Smith in the Quarter-Finals, running out a 6-3 winner in a scrappy affair dominated by missed doubles.
Van den Bergh, meanwhile, ended the hopes of Australian icon Simon Whitlock at the same stage, averaging almost 98 before losing out to Whitlock’s World Cup team-mate Heta in the Semi-Finals.
New South Wales Darts Masters 2023 Day Two Results
Saturday August 12
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 3-6 Damon Heta
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Simon Whitlock
Michael Smith 3-6 Peter Wright
Rob Cross 6-4 Danny Noppert
Semi-Finals
Damon Heta 7-6 Dimitri van den Bergh
Rob Cross 7-0 Peter Wright
Final
Rob Cross 8-1 Damon Heta
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