Smith seals the opening title of the campaign (Photo by Kieran Cleeves/PDC)
Michael Smith made the perfect start to the 2024 Premier League Darts season by defeating home favourite Gerwyn Price to triumph on Night One in Cardiff.
Smith put down an early marker with a trio of superb victories at the Utilita Arena, defeating defending champion Michael van Gerwen, teenage sensation Luke Littler and Price to clinch the opening £10,000 weekly bonus.
The 2023 World Champion edged out Van Gerwen and Littler in last-leg shoot-outs to progress to Thursday’s final – where he coasted to a 6-2 rout of the Welshman.
Smith had punished a disastrous deciding-leg from Van Gerwen to prevail in the evening’s third Quarter-Final, before defying six 180s and a 105 average from Littler to set up a showdown against Price.
Price, runner-up in last year’s Premier League, drew first blood in the final with a clinical 80 finish, before Smith responded with a three-leg burst to seize control at 3-1.
The world number three continued his charge with consecutive 120 and 107 checkouts to move to the cusp of glory, but Price preserved his hopes with a 100 checkout in leg seven to double his tally.
However, the St Helens star responded by crashing in his fifth 180 to close in on victory, and he capped off a dominant display with a 13-darter to round off a statement performance.
“I’m really happy to win,” admitted Smith, who finished second in last year’s league phase.
“My game wasn’t where I would love it to be, but winning is winning and I love to do it.
“I think Night 15 in last year’s Premier League was my last win on tour, so after six months of hard work, it does feel really satisfying to get that momentum going again.
“My scoring wasn’t at its best, but I was putting everything together at the right time, when I needed it the most, and that was my statement to myself tonight.”
Price was unable to make it back-to-back titles in Cardiff, but walked away with three points courtesy of wins over Nathan Aspinall and Rob Cross.
Price toppled Aspinall in last year’s final in the Welsh capital, and he picked up from where he left off by sealing a 6-4 win over the World Matchplay champion.
The 38-year-old then recovered from a sluggish start to deny a resilient Aspinall, producing 124 and 120 checkouts amid a mid-match burst of 13, 12 and 13-dart legs to move through to the semis.
Price then powered past 2019 runner-up Cross in a high-quality Semi-Final, reeling off the last four legs without reply to progress with a 101 average.
Littler produced a brace of ton-plus averages on his Premier League debut, avenging his World Championship final defeat to Luke Humphries with an emphatic 6-2 victory in the Quarter-Finals amid audible whistling from the crowd on his opponent’s throw.
The World Youth Champion also impressed in an absorbing Semi-Final against Smith, rallying from 4-2 adrift with legs of 12, 14 and 13 darts, only to miss a match dart at double 15 in a dramatic climax.
Cross, meanwhile, marked his return to the Premier League by running out a 6-3 winner against an out of sorts Peter Wright in the evening’s opener before going down 6-2 to Price in the semis.
The BetMGM Premier League continues on Thursday February 8 as Price and Smith collide in a repeat of tonight’s final on Night Two in Berlin.
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