Ryan Searle lands sensational nine-darter to secure Grand Slam knockout qualification

Ryan Searle produced a remarkable nine-darter to clinch a place in the knockout stages of the Grand Slam of Darts on Monday, as defending champion Michael Smith bowed out.

Searle raised the roof in Wolverhampton with a moment of magic in his decisive Group D fixture against Nathan Rafferty, becoming only the sixth player in Grand Slam history to achieve a perfect leg.

Searle, who recovered from 4-0 down to win his opening group fixture against Gian van Veen on Saturday, raced into a 3-0 lead against Rafferty, only for the Northern Irishman to respond with back-to-back legs.

The Somerset star then restored his two-leg advantage with a 13-darter in leg six, before fending off Rafferty’s rally to wrap up a memorable 5-3 victory with his first televised nine-darter.

“It’s a special feeling to hit a nine-darter to win a match,” said Searle, who will now take on World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries in a fascinating Last 16 showdown.

“It’s a great moment that I’ll never forget.

“I think I’ve been pretty unlucky in previous Grand Slams where I’ve run into some awesome performances; last year I ran into two 107 averages!

“I’ve got my best friend Luke in the next round now. Luke has beaten me so many times on the big stage, so I do owe him one. Hopefully I’ll get him back on Wednesday!”

Humphries clinched top spot in Group C with a resounding 5-1 victory over a struggling Dirk van Duijvenbode, recording his third ton-plus average of the group stage to continue his blistering form.

That also confirmed Gary Anderson’s place in the Last 16, after the Scot swept aside Steve Lennon to preserve his astonishing record in the round-robin phase.

Anderson, a two-time runner-up in Wolverhampton, averaged 102 and fired in four maximums to progress to the knockout stage at the Grand Slam for the 16th time in as many appearances.

Defending champion Michael Smith was sent packing on an action-packed evening after succumbing 5-1 to three-time runner-up James Wade in their crunch Group A showdown.

Wade punished a below-par display from the World Champion to secure top spot in Group A, which also ended Smith’s remarkable 18-match winning run in the group stage, in a record dating back to 2017.

“I’m James Wade and I do what I do,” reflected last month’s European Championship runner-up.

“I think I dealt with the pressure better than Michael did. I didn’t play particularly well, but I was a little bit better than somebody who was nowhere near their best tonight.

“Michael had a lot of misfortune, but I know how good I am, I know what I am capable of, and I believe I will be back in the top ten in two years’ time.”

Wade will now face Chris Dobey on Wednesday, after the Masters champion won his all-important Group B tie against Jonny Clayton.

Dobey dominated the opening exchanges to storm into a 3-0 lead, although he was forced to withstand a late fightback from the Welshman to prevail 5-3.

“I knew it was going to be a tough battle, especially playing a good friend like Jonny,” admitted Dobey, who made the Quarter-Finals on his Grand Slam debut in 2016.

“I missed so many darts at double and Jonny punished me, but I’m just delighted to get through that one. The opening two games were a struggle, so I’m pleased to have put in a performance.

“I owe James one after he thrashed me in my first appearance here, but I think the longer format suits me, and I’ll be ready for that.”

In the evening’s opener, Gerwyn Price sensationally averaged 112.3 and converted a trio of ton-plus checkouts to cap off a sensational Group D campaign with a 5-1 demolition of Gian van Veen.

Price, who was already assured of top spot ahead of the tie, landed finishes of 107, 108 and 121 to dismantle the Dutchman with the ninth-highest average in Grand Slam history.

The Welshman – who has won a hat-trick of titles in his four visits to the Aldersley venue – will now take on Anderson in a repeat of their firey 2018 final.

Elsewhere, Josh Rock completed a clean sweep in Group B with a comprehensive 5-1 success against Berry van Peer, which sets up a Last 16 encounter against Group A runner-up Krzysztof Ratajski.

Ratajski eased past former World Youth Championship runner-up Nathan Girvan by the same score-line in his final Group A fixture, reeling off the last five legs without reply.

WATCH THE GRAND SLAM OF DARTS STREAMED LIVE HERE

18+ | Geo Restrictions may apply | Gamble Aware

Grand Slam of Darts 2023 Day Three Results

Monday November 13

Group Stage

Gerwyn Price 5-1 Gian van Veen (D)
Josh Rock 5-1 Berry van Peer (B)
Gary Anderson 5-1 Steve Lennon (C)
Luke Humphries 5-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode (C)
Nathan Rafferty 3-5 Ryan Searle (D)
Krzysztof Ratajski 5-1 Nathan Girvan (A)
Michael Smith 1-5 James Wade (A)
Jonny Clayton 3-5 Chris Dobey (B)