Seeds continue to progress in Melbourne

James Wade and Michael Smith join Wright and Gurney in the quarter-finals of the Melbourne Darts Masters.
Wade has reached the semis of the last 3 World Series events and could be on course to do so again. He’ll have to up his scoring in the next round if he wishes for that run to continue. Kiwi Koha Kokiri could have given him a fright in the early stages, but missed darts at double in both the first and second legs allowed Wade to move ahead, Kokiri 0 from 11 on the doubles in the opening 2 legs. Kokiri then got on the board in leg 3, taking 32 after hitting two 140’s in the leg. The pair traded legs until 4-3, with Kokiri then missing 9 darts to level at 4-4. Wade, as e so often does, duly punished, leaving Koha with a little too much to do. The Machine wrapping up victory in the following leg.
Game 4 began with a bang. David Platt, the former Englishman taking a 2-0 lead over Michael Smith. The Aussie Platt very nearly made history in leg 2, wiring double 12 for the 9-darter. It couldn’t have been much closer! Despite winning in 10 darts, the wheels seemed to fall off for plat after that leg. Smith, who much like snakebite and Wade before him, wasn’t at his best, but made the most of some scrappy scoring to take a 5-2 lead. Platt missing 2 darts at double 16 in the 7th. He did take the next leg, with the throw, but failed to capitalise on a poor first turn from Smith in the 9th leg. The former world youth champion finishing 106 for the match.
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