Jonny Tata was responsible for the biggest shock of the first round of the New Zealand Darts Masters on Friday morning by eliminating two-time world champion Peter Wright.
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Tata thus dealt Wright another blow in his already disappointing season. The Scot did not exceed an average of 84 and a finishing percentage of 30 percent.
"It's an unreal feeling, I can't really explain it,'' Tata stammered to the press in attendance afterwards. ''It's something I thought would never happen, and it did!"
The New Zealander, making his debut at a television tournament, spoke of a dream draw. "Even to compete against Peter Wright I was happy, so coming out with the win on top is something magical. I'm absolutely thrilled."
"It's something I was so excited for and I suppose the nerves weren't there as much as I thought they would have been. Once I got onto stage, everything fell into place," Tata said. He gets another chance for a stunt on Saturday. Then awaits Rob Cross in the quarterfinals of the New Zealand Darts Masters.
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
TATA STUNS WRIGHT!!
What a win for Jonny Tata as he shows no sign of nerves on his TV debut to beat Peter Wright 6-3!
#NZDarts | First Round
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