Wade and Smith landed nine-darters en route to UK Open Quarter-Finals

James Wade and Michael Smith produced nine-dart finishes on their way to reaching the Quarter-Finals of the 2022 UK Open in Minehead on Saturday.

Reigning champion Wade raised the roof on the Main Stage with a perfect leg in his 10-8 defeat of Boris Krcmar in the Last 16, having earlier seen off Ron Meulenkamp.

Wade, who moves up to third in the Order of Merit after Michael van Gerwen’s Fifth Round exit to Damon Heta, said: “It was never in doubt in my mind, I was never not going to hit that nine-darter.

“Every dart was middle of the bed; when they’re going in like that you feel like you can’t miss.

“It’s nice to be world number three but it’s not the be all and end all, we play a lot of darts so the rankings change all the time.”

Just minutes after Wade’s nine-darter, Smith replicated the feat on Stage Two in his dramatic 10-9 win over Mensur Suljovic – who was celebrating his 50th birthday.

The two-time world finalist began the day by defeating German number one Gabriel Clemens 10-8 and has been drawn to face world number one Gerwyn Price in Sunday’s Quarter-Finals.

Price put down a marker with a 106.6 average in a 10-3 demolition of Callan Rydz in the Last 16, a stark contrast to his battling 10-9 win over Jamie Hughes earlier in the day.

“It’s going to be a tough game against Michael, but I’m playing well and looking forward to it,” admitted Price.

“That’s the joy of this tournament, the big names fall and you never know who you could be playing next.

“But it doesn’t matter to me who’s gone out because I felt confident of going all the way regardless.”

While the afternoon session saw three-time champion Van Gerwen suffer an early exit at the hands of in-form Heta, Peter Wright fell at the Last 16 hurdle as he went down 10-7 to William O’Connor.

Despite the loss, Wright remains in line to become world number one for the first time in his career unless Price reaches the final on Sunday.

O’Connor’s landmark victory means two Irish players will feature the Quarter-Finals of the UK Open for the first time, as 19-year-old Keane Barry also enjoyed a memorable day in his career.

Barry produced a stunning 121 checkout in the deciding leg to defeat Niels Zonneveld in the Last 32 before powering past Ricky Evans 10-5 in the evening session.

His reward is a Quarter-Final show-down with defending champion Wade on the Main Stage on Sunday afternoon.

Barry will be joined in the Last Eight by another teenage sensation in Sebastian Bialecki, after the Polish talent took the scalps of Ian White and Ryan Searle to continue his fairy-tale weekend.

Bialecki, who started out in the First Round on Friday morning, held his nerve to deny White in a last-leg shoot-out before dispatching world number 16 Searle 10-6 in the Last 16.

“I am really happy to be in the quarter-finals of this difficult tournament,” said Bialecki, who becomes only the third non-Tour Card Holder to reach the Quarter-Finals.

“I’m trying to play my best and take the opportunities that my great opponents have given me.”

Heta enjoyed two of the biggest wins of his career, backing up a 10-4 scalp of MVG with a 10-8 success over Premier League champion Jonny Clayton to become the highest ranked Australian on the Order of Merit in the process.

Danny Noppert fended off a late fightback from Devon Petersen in the Last 32 before dominating fellow-Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-2 to coast into the Quarter-Finals.

At the conclusion of Sunday afternoon’s Quarter-Finals, the draw will be made for the Semi-Finals – which will take place in the evening along with the final.

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UK Open 2022 – Day Two Results

Saturday March 5

Afternoon Session

Last 32

Main Stage
Ryan Searle 10-8 Dimitri van den Bergh
Damon Heta 10-4 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 10-5 Simon Whitlock
Jamie Hughes 9-10 Gerwyn Price

Stage Two
Danny Noppert 10-8 Devon Petersen
Gabriel Clemens 8-10 Michael Smith
Jonny Clayton 10-1 Jose de Sousa
Ron Meulenkamp 3-10 James Wade

Stage Three
Dave Chisnall 4-10 Boris Krcmar
Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-4 Martin Schindler
Niels Zonneveld 9-10 Keane Barry
Callan Rydz 10-2 Vincent van der Voort

Stage Four
Scott Waites 8-10 Ricky Evans
Mensur Suljovic 10-8 Geert Nentjes
Ian White 9-10 Sebastian Bialecki
William O’Connor 10-9 Stephen Bunting

Evening Session

Last 16

Main Stage
Danny Noppert 10-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
James Wade 10-8 Boris Krcmar – *Wade hits a nine-darter*
Peter Wright 7-10 William O’Connor
Gerwyn Price 10-3 Callan Rydz

Stage Two
Ricky Evans 5-10 Keane Barry
Ryan Searle 6-10 Sebastian Bialecki
Mensur Suljovic 9-10 Michael Smith – *Smith hits a nine-darter*
Damon Heta 10-8 Jonny Clayton