Home hero Simon Whitlock sees off Nathan Aspinall at the New South Wales Masters
Simon Whitlock held his nerve to seal a dramatic last-leg victory over Nathan Aspinall in Round One of the New South Wales Darts Masters in Wollongong on Friday.
Aussie ace Whitlock delighted his home crowd at the WIN Entertainment Centre as he defied a spirited fightback from Aspinall to become the solitary Oceanic representative to progress to the Quarter-Finals.
There was nothing to separate the pair after four legs, but Whitlock stole a march midway through proceedings, landing four 180s inside three legs to establish a commanding 5-2 lead.
The partisan crowd appeared set to roar Whitlock on to an emphatic victory, but a tenacious Aspinall rallied back, following up finishes of 84 and 80 with a 14-dart hold to force a decider.
The pair then exchanged maximums in a dramatic climax – which saw both players miss match darts before Whitlock keep his cool, pinning double four to cap off a memorable win.
“Nathan is class – he’s just won the World Matchplay, so this is massive for me,” admitted Whitlock, who averaged 99 and registered six 180s.
“I played well and I probably could have won it easier than that, but Nathan never gives up, and he could have won have the match. I think the crowd helped me there!
“It was awesome having my Mum in the crowd again. I ran down and gave her a kiss and a cuddle [after the match]. It’s so special.”
Australian number one Heta was Friday’s stand-out performer, averaging 106 in whitewashing Joe Comito to storm into the Last Eight.
The 36-year-old produced a brace of 11-darters on his way to a whitewash victory over his fellow West Australian thrower, also landing two maximums and a 171 to set up a mouth-watering show-down against Gerwyn Price.
“To perform like that in front of a home crowd means so much,” admitted Heta.
“I haven’t stepped up to the plate here in recent years, so to have a great load of fun and for it to go down like that, I’m absolutely stoked.
“I’ve played Joe Comito many times. When I first played him, it was 18-0 to him, but since then he has never beaten me, so I will let him know about it!”
Meanwhile, Price recovered from a shaky start to close out a commanding 6-2 victory over Harley Kemp.
The pair traded holds in a scrappy start to proceedings, before Price established a 4-1 lead by reeling off three consecutive legs in 12, 13 and 13 darts.
Kemp doubled his tally with a magnificent 143 checkout in leg six, although Price was undeterred, conjuring up an effortless 140 finish in leg eight to seal his progress in style.
“A win is a win, but I need to improve,” said Price, who landed four 180s and averaged 98.8.
“I was slow coming out of the blocks. I struggled early on, but I found my form towards the middle and end of the game.
“I’m a little bit inconsistent at the minute. I’m playing well in patches, but hopefully I can find something close to my A-game tomorrow and then I can win the tournament.”
World Champion Michael Smith and world number three Peter Wright will lock horns for a place in the Semi-Finals, after kicking off their campaigns with 6-2 victories over Mal Cuming and Darren Penhall respectively.
Cuming drew first blood against world number one Smith with a 112 checkout, but only for the St Helens star to win six of the next seven legs to continue his challenge for a second World Series title of 2023.
Meanwhile, Wright’s mid-game change of darts inspired his win over DPA number one Penhall, as the Scot returned to winning ways following his shock early exit in Hamilton last week.
New Zealand Masters champion Rob Cross began his bid for back-to-back World Series titles with an impressive 6-2 victory over DPNZ qualifier John Hurring – who fired in three 180s in an impressive showing.
Hurring followed up a superb double-double 97 finish with a 70 checkout to lead 2-1, although Cross dominated the latter stages, winning the last five legs without reply to triumph with a 98 average.
Cross will now take on Dutch number two Danny Noppert – who converted 121 and 110 checkouts to complete a hard-fought 6-3 win over big stage debutant Brenton Lloyd in the evening’s opener.
Dimitri van den Bergh defied a sub-par display to condemn Australian qualifier Dave Marland to his third whitewash defeat in four World Series appearances.
WATCH THE NEW SOUTH WALES DARTS MASTERS STREAMED LIVE HERE*
18+ | T&Cs Apply* | Geo Restrictions may apply | Gamble Aware
New South Wales Darts Masters 2023 Day One Results
Friday August 11
First Round
10am-2pm
Danny Noppert 6-3 Brenton Lloyd
Dimitri van den Bergh 6-0 Dave Marland
Damon Heta 6-0 Joe Comito
Rob Cross 6-2 John Hurring
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Harley Kemp
Nathan Aspinall 5-6 Simon Whitlock
Peter Wright 6-2 Darren Penhall
Michael Smith 6-2 Mal Cuming
Latest Darts Free Bet Offers (18+)
Sky Bet New Customer offer: Get £30 in Free Bets when you place any first bet
CLICK HERE TO CLAIM THIS OFFER
*New customers only. First single or E/W bet only. 5p minimum stake. 3x £10 Bet Tokens. Free Bet Stakes not included in returns. Free Bets exclude virtuals and are non-withdrawable. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
CopyBet New Customer offer: Bet £10 and Get £40 in Free Bets
CLICK HERE TO CLAIM THIS OFFER
18+ only. New customers only. For verified UK clients only. The qualifying bet should start at £10 and have 1.5 or greater odds. Following the qualifying bet, you will receive 4 free bets that can be used one after another. Each free bet lasts for 7 days. Single bet only. Pre-Match or Live. No Cash-Out. Max payout – £500.
Boylesports New Customer offer: Bet £10 and Get £20 in Free Bets
CLICK HERE TO CLAIM THIS OFFER
New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply
Bet UK sign-up offer: Bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets
CLICK HERE TO CLAIM THIS OFFER
T&Cs apply. New customers, Deposit & Place a Bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football. Stake not returned. Opt-in required. 18+ GambleAware.org
