Damon Heta failed to win a World Series tournament for the second time in his career. The Australian, who was still the best at the Brisbane Darts Masters in 2019, went down 8-2 against Luke Humphries in the final of the New Zealand Darts Masters.
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The Heat made his way to the final by beating Rob Cross 6-5 in the quarterfinals and Peter Wright 7-4 in the semifinals. Heta started the final against Humphries full of confidence, but had to concede to the reigning world champion, for whom it was only his first World Series tournament victory. "This feels like another learning curve for myself, but fair play to Luke," said Heta.
Heta stuck at a 95.68 average versus Humphries' 102.21. “I just didn’t flow like I can so I’m a little bit disappointed, but that just makes me more hungry for the next one, and I’ll be ready for it.”
Damon Heta in action
Kyle Anderson Memorial Trophy
Heta did receive for his performance the Kyle Anderson Memorial Trophy, a trophy named after the Australian darter who died in 2021. “I won this last year, and to win it again this year just goes to show the impact that Kyle had,” continued the former World Cup champion.
“I feel it’s got to grow within the sport so the other players know what it’s going to represent, so I hope they can come along and start beating these guys!”
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Heta can now start preparing for the Players Championships 21 and 22, which will take place next week Wednesday and Thursday in Milton Keynes.
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.
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HUMPHRIES WINS IN HAMILTON! 👏
Luke Humphries breaks new ground in Hamilton, dispatching Damon Heta 8-2 to lift the New Zealand Darts Masters title! 🏆
📺 bit.ly/24NZLive#NZMasters | Final