James Wade has dethroned defending champion Michael Smith at the Grand Slam of Darts. 'Bullyboy' had won his first two group matches, but due to his defeat against 'The Machine', the world champion was dumped out.
ADVERTISEMENT
Smith had not worked sufficiently on his leg balance with his wins against Krzysztof Ratajski (5-4) and Nathan Girvan (5-2). Because Ratajski had won 5-1 against Girvan earlier in the evening, the match between Wade and Smith suddenly turned into a decider.
NOW: Click here to go to our LIVE SCORE to follow the Grand Slam of Darts.
The difference was made on the doubles. Smith missed one chance in the second and third leg, and saw it go to Wade, who led 1-2 as a result. In leg four, Smith again missed a chance on the bullseye, after which Wade threw out 41 to make it 3-1.
Smith even had three chances in the fifth leg, but missed double 20 three times. Those misses proved fatal for him. Wade hit 50 for 4-1 and then sealed the verdict with a 14-darter.
In Group B, Chris Dobey finished second behind Josh Rock. In a straight shootout, Dobey was too strong for Jonny Clayton, who is dumped out also.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
WADE SENDS SMITH PACKING ⚙️
18 wins on the trot in the group stages for Michael Smith, but the reigning Champion is OUT as he loses to James Wade! ❌
Wade tops the group, and Ratajski goes through in second place in Group A.
📺 bit.ly/GSODLive#GSOD | Group A
DOBEY BATTLES INTO LAST 16 ⚪️⚫️
Chris Dobey gets the better of Jonny Clayton to reach the Last 16 and finish second in Group B.
📺 bit.ly/GSODLive#GSOD | Group B