“It’s just a dream come true” – Adam Leek survives six match darts to stun Ross Smith on World Series debut

Adam Leek marked his World Series debut with a remarkable comeback at the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters, fighting back from 4-1 down and surviving six match darts to beat Ross Smith 6-5 in Auckland. The victory sent the Australian Tour Card rookie straight into the quarter-finals at his first World Series event.

Smith had appeared to take control after recovering from an early break, winning four successive legs to move three clear. Leek refused to disappear, however, dragging himself level at 4-4 before Smith moved within one leg of victory once again.

Smith then had repeated opportunities to close it out, only for Leek to survive six match darts and eventually hold his nerve in the deciding leg.

“Best feeling in the world, honestly. I’m lost for words,” Leek admitted in his on-stage interview afterwards.

When his own winning opportunity arrived, Leek briefly stepped away from the oche before returning to take aim at the match-winning double. “I thought, ‘I’m ready, I might be winning this match right now,’” he explained. “It was just one of those. I tried to compose myself as much as I could and thankfully it went in.”

Leek was also quick to involve the Auckland crowd during the comeback, matching the relaxed approach he has tried to bring onto the professional circuit.

“They pay money to come and watch, so you’ve got to get the crowd involved and have a bit of fun,” he said. “That’s how I treat my darts. Just enjoy it, have fun and get everyone involved.”

Leek only secured his PDC Tour Card at UK Q-School in January, coming through four consecutive deciding-leg victories on the final day before beating Tyler Thorpe 6-5 to earn his place on the professional circuit.

He subsequently moved from Australia to the UK to pursue the tour full-time and has already represented his country alongside Damon Heta at the World Cup of Darts after replacing long-time Australian stalwart Simon Whitlock in the national pairing.

“It’s just unreal, honestly,” said Leek as he took in the Auckland crowd. “It’s just a dream come true. So yeah, just get ready for the next one and see how we go.”

The result did not stop Leek identifying room for improvement. Asked where he could sharpen up, he pointed to greater consistency after averaging 87.82 against Smith’s 88.79.

Leek entered Auckland without a World Series appearance or victory to his name. He will now return on Saturday as a quarter-finalist after eliminating Smith at the first attempt.